On Saturday night, 22 English and American players stepped onto the pitch at Wembley in front of 80,000 roaring fans, jumping high and clapping before kick-off, preparing their game faces. But as both sides braced for their respective national anthems, all eyes—and one burning question—turned to Emma Hayes: which anthem would she sing?

Was it England’s ‘God Save the King,’ America’s ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ or neither? Or perhaps both? Even before the match, this remained the burning question, with the former Chelsea boss frequently changing her responses when asked about the national anthems. However, more eager than most, Hayes’ former Blues disciple Millie Bright didn’t hesitate and asked her directly.

“When Millie Bright said to me, ‘Did you sing the national anthem?’ I said, ‘Yes, Mills, I did!'” began Emma in the post-match interview with ITV Sport. Of course, the English skipper had to ask the question, likely with the intent of pulling Hayes’ leg. But we all know that if the 48-year-old is savvy enough to lead the USWNT to Olympic gold glory with just four pre-games and eight training sessions, she certainly knows how to craft the perfect (diplomatic one, mind you) response to such a question.

“She [Bright] said, ‘Which one? I said Cheeky’,” narrated Hayes, before finally breaking her silence. “Of course, I sang my own. And no, listen, you can be two things at once. ‘I’m a proud English woman who’s proud to coach America so I don’t have to choose. I definitely love both countries,” explained the former WSL boss, expertly balancing the conflict between personal loyalty and professional commitment.

Emma Hayes seems to embody the idea of why settle for one when you can have two as she seems to find her joy in rallying for both nations—honoring her home country with patriotism while fulfilling her duty to the US Women’s National Team, all while embracing the national anthems along the way.

The former Chelsea boss navigated a significant ethical dilemma and ended up singing—or at least humming—her country’s anthem, which also apparently wasn’t an easy task.

Emma Hayes couldn’t control her laugh during the English national anthem

Hilariously, as the home nation’s anthem played during England vs. USWNT, Naomi Girma and Lynn Williams couldn’t take their eyes off Emma Hayes, causing the English coach to break her composure and struggle to suppress her laughter. “Smiling cuz I can see Naomi and Lynn looking at me because I was definitely mouthing the national anthem,” said Hayes in the post-match press conference.

“They could see that I was struggling with where to be in all of that,” added Hayes. On the contrary, before the match, the English boss had admitted that she may remain silent during either side’s national anthem. However, something caused Emma to change her mind as she did vibe with her nation’s song. “I’m proud of our national anthem and I was proud to like I’ve sung it since I was a kid,” she added in the presser.

The term “English-American coach” perfectly fits Emma Hayes, as both England and the USA hold deep significance for her. While her roots may be traced back to Camden, she is wholeheartedly embraced by the United States.