Spain secured a 2-0 victory over the United States in an international friendly match on October 10, 2026, in Washington. Patri Guijarro and Eva Navarro scored within the first 14 minutes, while goalkeeper Adriana Nanclares saved a second-half penalty kick from the U.S. The match featured the two top-ranked teams in women's soccer and was the first of two encounters between reigning World Cup champion Spain and the Olympic champion U.S.
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U.S. coach Emma Hayes acknowledged Spain's quality, stating, "They're world champions for a reason. You're not going to just roll them over. But you can't give them a head start either."
Key players were missing from both squads, including Aitana Bonmatí for Spain and defenders Naomi Girma and Emily Sonnett for the U.S. Spain capitalized on two effective strikes: Guijarro opened the scoring in the third minute with a long-range shot, and Navarro made it 2-0 after a cross from Salma Paralluelo found her unmarked.
U.S. defender Emily Fox remarked, “Playing a team like Spain, the best in the world, is such a huge test for us. They were very efficient in their attack, and they only needed two chances.”
The Americans had opportunities to equalize, with Alyssa Thompson and Sophia Wilson testing Nanclares, the latter hitting the crossbar. In the second half, Trinity Rodman increased her influence on the game, helping set up a disallowed goal due to an offside call.
A VAR review awarded the U.S. a penalty, but Lily Yohannes' attempt was saved by Nanclares. Hayes noted the U.S. held statistical advantages but criticized their execution, stating, “Unlucky is being struck by lightning.”
Spain was reduced to ten players late in the match after Athenea del Castillo received a red card for a foul. Mallory Swanson returned for the U.S. in the 66th minute, marking her first appearance in over 700 days after taking parental leave.
The two teams will face off again on Tuesday near Philadelphia.