Most managers need a grace period to gel with their teams, playing the long game with time, patience, and plenty of tweaks. But not for Emma Hayes. She took over, and redefined that norm, making an immediate impact with USWNT. In less than 2 months since taking the job, her side won Olympic Gold and remains unbeaten in 15 games. Star defender Naomi Girma reveals the secret to their success lies in Hayes’s elite mindset. 

Naomi Girma, a nominee for this year’s Best FIFA Women’s Player award due to her solid displays in Paris, praises Hayes for turning things around, following the World Cup disaster. In 2023, the women’s team was knocked out of the World Cup in the Round of 16, and it was the first time they failed to reach the latter stages of a tournament since 2016. Since then, things have been looking different. 

“Last year was kind of a transition year,” Girma tells FIFA. “For a lot of us, it was our first time playing in a major tournament. This year, getting the young players confident was big for us.” Emma Hayes recently handed 16-year-old Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes her first two caps and is more driven to give opportunities to young players, a stark contrast to her predecessor. 

“Emma coming in [ahead of the Olympics], bringing in her playing style and her energy was really big too. We built the belief we could win major games and win major tournaments,” says Girma. Hayes’ side recently faced England and the Netherlands in away friendlies, drawing at Wembley and securing a narrow 2-1 win over the Dutch. She did this without her key players. 

With such an incredible start, Emma Hayes is likely to lead the Stars and Stripes at the 2027 World Cup. She’s no stranger to playing major competitions, having spent 12 years coaching Chelsea. However, leaving Stamford Bridge was far from easy for the USWNT coach.

“I feel like I am on an adventure,” says Emma Hayes about her USWNT job

Emma Hayes left the Chelsea side with which she won seven league titles, 5 Women’s FA Cups, 2 League Cups, and even came close to winning the Champions League. So for her to go from playing week in and week out to having long breaks in between matches for the Red, Blue, and White was like night and day. 

“I was trying to process 12 years at Chelsea, so the Olympics felt like a bit of a free shot for me, I was like I am not doing the same day-to-day anymore, I feel like I am on an adventure,” says Hayes on an episode of ‘It’s Called Soccer’. 

Emma Hayes could not have asked for a better start. Moving forward, her side will likely be favorites for the 2027 World Cup, and given the USWNT’s history, a fifth title wouldn’t be surprising. With the squad looking stronger than it has in years, Hayes is likely to add another trophy to her cabinet.