Mission Paris Olympics 2024 is done and dusted for USWNT. The American ladies finally have a reason to smile since their 2023 World Cup upset as they return home with a gold medal this time. Emma Hayes, however, believes the team won’t be settling for less as they are ‘just at the beginning’ of their silverware haul.

After the summer games triumph, it’s only logical for the Star and Stripes ft. ladies to dream of the 2027 World Cup. This is a feeling that even Hayes can’t express, insisting on how excited everyone is with their potential. “We are so looking forward to the things we can do together. Of course, tonight we have a gold medal, but it doesn’t mean it ends there,” said Hayes during a conversation with The Athletic following Saturday’s narrow victory over Brazil.  

The desire to win more trophies and maintain their dominance in the soccer world looks to be reignited within the players. “We want so much more for ourselves because we’re competitors. But we’re just at the beginning. About 75 days in, baby,” added the former Chelsea boss.

Of course, it wasn’t just the poor World Cup exit on the biggest stage of the beautiful, USWNT lost a lot; Aside from the confidence, they even saw their FIFA world ranking drop to 5th (the worst-ever in their history.) When Hayes arrived, she was questioned whether Team USA was in the best possible position.

Interestingly, the 47-year-old replied, “No, but it’s about where we finish when we need to that matters to me. So I want to focus on that instead of where we are in the world rankings, where we are in comparison to Spain.” Either way, the manager seems to have done her initial part for the team. But that doesn’t mean the problem has gone!

Despite Paris Olympics glory, things may go ‘downhill’ for Emma Hayes for USWNT!

With the gold medal victory in Paris, Emma Hayes has significantly heightened the expectations of the people for this USWNT squad. She is now expected to maintain this status for as long as the four-time world champions choose to keep her in charge. This pressure is a bit unsettling for the 47-year-old, who admitted, “One of my players said to me yesterday, ‘It’s all downhill from here.’ [I] hope not but I get the point.”

Having secured the Summer Games title in such a short span as a coach, Hayes now carries the weight of delivering continued success. Any failure to do so could lead to backlash from the fans. Questions also arise about whether her newly established era of the USWNT can withstand the challenges of future major tournaments, like the World Cup, where every team brings its best talent and performance.

Nevertheless, we can only hope that things continue to go well for the US Women’s National Team. So far, their dedication and perseverance suits them as they eye to preserve their dominance.