St. Paul, St. Louis to host U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team

The U.S. women’s national soccer team will play China in two friendly matches in St. Paul, Minnesota, and St. Louis this summer.

The teams will meet at Allianz Field in St. Paul on May 31 and at Energizer Park in St. Louis on June 3. These will be the first meetings with China since the end of 2023. The USWNT has met China 60 times, the second most matches against any country behind only Canada.

“I love these games because they combine some rich women’s soccer history with the present, with both countries going through transitions in preparation for ’27 World Cup qualifying,” said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes. “But our process continues and it’s a patient and comprehensive one. It’s up to our coaching staff to give players opportunities — opportunities they have earned — and it’s up to the players to show us they can perform at the highest levels. We are looking forward to seeing the players show their talents against an excellent team in two fantastic soccer venues.”

This will be the fourth match for the USWNT at Allianz Field after playing there in 2019, 2021 and 2024, which was Hayes’ second match in charge. The USWNT played its first nine domestic games in Blaine, Minnesota, over 1986, 1987 and 1990 at what was then the Blaine Soccer Complex and then the National Sports Center. The USA played a total of 13 matches in Blaine between 1986-2006, did not return to Minnesota until 10 years later in 2016 for a match at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, and then played those three matches at Allianz Field after Minnesota United FC joined Major League Soccer in 2017 and completed its soccer-specific venue in 2019.

The match in St. Louis will feature a special pregame celebration for USWNT legend Becky Sauerbrunn, who announced her retirement in December. Sauerbrunn, a St. Louis native, played 219 times for the United States, good for 10th all-time. She played in three Olympic games and three Women’s World Cups — and would have played in a fourth, but a foot injury knocked her out of the 2023 tournament.

The USWNT will be playing its seventh match all-time in St. Louis and its second at Energizer Field after facing Ireland there in April 2023, a 1-0 victory. The USA’s last three visits to St. Louis have drawn a combined 93,872 fans.

The USWNT and China met in the 1996 Olympic gold medal game in Athens, Georgia, won 2-1 by the Americans, and in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final in Pasadena, California, in which the U.S. triumphed in a penalty kick shootout. China has defeated the U.S. more times (nine) that any country in the world besides Norway (19) but has not beaten the U.S. since the end of 2015. China is in preparations for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup that will serve as qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The U.S. is preparing for Concacaf World Cup qualifying which will be held in the fall of 2026.