USWNT to Honor Morgan and Naeher in October Friendlies

USWNT to Face Portugal in October with Emotional Tributes and Debut at New Stadium

The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) is preparing for a series of exciting matches in October, including two matches against Portugal and a debut at the innovative CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. These encounters promise to be special, not only for the quality of the football, but also for the tributes to two team legends. Before their first match at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium built specifically for an NWSL team, the USWNT will play two matches against Portugal. These duels will take place on October 23 in Chester, Pennsylvania, and October 26 in East Hartford, Connecticut. The October matches will witness emotional tributes. Alex Morgan, former USWNT forward, and Alyssa Naeher, former goalkeeper, will be honored for their outstanding careers. Morgan, who retired from international soccer last year, will be honored before the October 23 match in Chester. Naeher, for her part, will be honored before the October 26 match in East Hartford. The choice of CPKC Stadium for the third match of this international window required the approval of the USWNT Players Association. The stadium, with a capacity of 11,500 spectators, is smaller than the 15,000 seats required by the team’s collective bargaining agreement.

“The investment that Angie and Chris Long have made in their club and in this stadium is enormously impressive, important for the future of women’s soccer in the United States and deserves to be rewarded with a match like this.”

Emma Hayes, USWNT coach

Morgan, who scored the first of her 123 international goals in October 2010 in Chester, left an indelible mark on women’s soccer. Retired last year, she ranks fifth on the USWNT’s all-time scoring list. In addition, she was a fundamental part of the teams that won the Olympic gold medal in 2012 and the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, where she earned the Silver Boot. Naeher, a Connecticut native, will also be honored for her outstanding international career. Before her retirement last fall, she led the USWNT to its fifth Olympic gold medal. She is currently in third place historically for the USWNT in terms of appearances, wins, and shutouts.

The match at CPKC Stadium, scheduled for October 29th, still has no defined opponent. However, it promises to be a memorable event for fans and the team. Before the October 26th match in East Hartford, the United States men’s deaf team will face an opponent to be determined. Last year, the United States women’s deaf team played before the United States senior team. Portugal, which was eliminated in the group stage of this summer’s European Championship, will face the USWNT in two friendly matches. The last time both teams met was in the group stage of the 2023 World Cup, where they drew without goals. In their previous ten encounters, the USWNT had won all matches against Portugal with a combined score of 39-0.

“Portugal is a growing team that will be very motivated for these matches, but as always, these three matches are more opportunities to work on ourselves.”

Emma Hayes, USWNT coach

The USWNT is expected to play two more matches to close out 2025 in the international window that begins November 24.