It’s that time of the year when coaches and players travel to Paris to attend the most prestigious ceremony in the Soccer world. Yes, we are talking about the Ballon d’Or that is set to take place at Theatre du Chatelet. Although it would be the 68th annual ceremony of the Ballon d’Or, it’s a special moment for the men’s and women’s coaches.

However, it may not be a historic night for the USWNT coach, Emma Hayes, even after winning the Olympics gold this year. And that wasn’t the only success she had running up to this year’s Ballon d’Or. As Hayes also led Chelsea’s women’s team to the semis of the UEFA Women’s Champions League last season. Well, going deep into the Champions League wasn’t the only success she had at club level.

As Emma also led her Blues to win their fifth consecutive WSL title, thereby leaving a lasting legacy in Stamford Bridge. Considering she isn’t the favorite to win this year’s Women’s Coach of the Year at Ballon d’Or 2024. We can’t help but wonder what she is missing out on in Paris. Well, you can’t really blame her for the Ballon d’Or rules. Yes, her Olympic success with the United States Women’s National Team isn’t counted because the eligibility starts on 1st August 2023 and ends on 31st July 2024.

This means her gold medal with the US women’s soccer team on August 10th this year meant nothing in Ballon d’Or eligibility. It would be disheartening for Emma Hayes, who brought immediate success in the grandest stage of all. Her Paris 2024 adventure is something that US women’s soccer will fondly remember for years to come.

Emma Hayes writes history in Paris with instant Paris Olympics success

At the start of the Olympics, Hayes was asked about her views on the tournament, to which she said, “Quirky, to say the least. But I like quirky.” Joining the USWNT in May, Emma only had a few months to prepare for the Olympics. So, bonding with her players played a key part in her success. “I want to build the relationships, build the trust, build a lightness. And hopefully, that shows in our play.” Although the US women’s soccer team won in Paris, the fans seemingly criticized her for not making any substitutions in the semis.

And the Londoner gave a befitting reply, “This is not a stage for me to say, Oh, let me see, let’s experiment with something. It just isn’t, I’m afraid. If you want to win. And I want to win.” Well, after a hard-fought 120 minutes in Paris, the US women’s soccer team did beat Germany, thereby putting them one step closer to the gold medal. After the game, Hayes opened up on how she wanted her girls to suffer: “I don’t want them to be better. Truthfully, I want them to suffer. I thought we suffered a hell of a lot today, and good. I want them to suffer. And I want to see who they are when it’s hard.”

As her team eventually cliched the gold against Brazil, thanks to a Mallory Swanson winner, the USWNT extended their record-breaking Olympic title to fifth this year. But sadly, it won’t be enough as Emma Hayes is set to miss out on the Ballon d’Or for the best Women’s Coach of the Year. Well, this isn’t the end of the world, as Hayes is only getting started in the Stateside. With much more to come, the future of the US women’s soccer team is in safe hands.