Emma Hayes's mission is to invigorate professional football for women in the United States.
Hayes was hired as head coach of the American national women's team in June after a few disappointing years for the team, because she was responsible for aging programming, coaching instability and increased global competition.
Less than a year later, she led the American team to an Olympic gold medal and won the 2024 Ballon d'Or as a women's football coach of the year – Putting the world on high alert that women's football in the United States is back.
Almost eight months after the United States defeated Brazil in the Golden Summer Olympic Games in Paris, the teams will continue with the next two friendly matches in California on April 5 and 8.
Before the next team’s friendly matches, CNBC Sport spoke to Hayes about how the work is happening, the biggest surprises that came there, of her leadership style and the stages she takes to make us a women's football again.
Olympic ambitions
Less than three months on the new job, Hayes found himself led the United States team to the Paris Olympic Games, following a 12-year stay as a chief coach of Chelsea Women, where she had established herself as one of the best coaches in women's football.
It may have been an intimidating challenge for many, but Hayes said that she had one day took it at a time.
“We know all the pressures and expectations that are there in and around the team, but I wanted to create an environment where the players were relaxed and calm but extremely concentrated,” Hayes told CNBC.
The native of England said she wanted to make sure that players did not have to worry about external pressures.
“I think that by creating this safe bubble, I allowed players to immerse themselves fully and to express themselves in the best possible way on the field,” said Hayes.
The American women's team returned to the podium for its fifth Olympic gold medal after defeating Brazil. The team won gold last time in 2012.
“The surprise for me was to consider all the pressure, the quantity of joy I would find there,” said Hayes about victory.
Soccer through the female objective
The United States coach Emma Hayes along the key before playing Australia at the State Farm Stadium on February 23, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.
Brad Smith | ISI photos | USSF | Getty images
After the Olympic Games, Hayes focused on reconstruction of the program to maintain this success. She turned her attention to fields such as the creation of a stronger football pipeline for the future and the design of training specifically for female athletes.
“All that we were exposed to in our sport has gone through the male objective, so we aim to approach this and put the sport of football in a situation, hopefully for so many players who can live in the game in a very different way, and ideally through a female lens,” said Hayes.
Hayes said that this state of mind will apply to everything, methods of recovery to strength and conditioning and even tactical information.
The 48 -year -old coach admitted that changes will take a lot of work and require education in coaches and even new programs.
“This is a huge project but in which we are very happy to participate,” she said.
Hayes also aims to use data, analysis and artificial intelligence in a more productive way.
For example, Hayes said that women have traditionally have less power in their shots than men, but data show that they are in fact more from a distance than in male game.
She added that data from an intelligent ring like Oura, which follows body temperature, could help training and recovery.
“I have the impression that without these data ideas, we may not make the progress of our game we would like,” she said.
The next generation of football players
Emma Hayes of the United States talks to his team during the USWNT training at San Diego FC Performance Center on February 25, 2025 in El Cajon, California.
Brad Smith | ISI photos | USSF | Getty images
Hayes also turns his attention to the next generation of football players. She said she was concerned about the number of players who abandoned sport.
Studies have shown that the increase in the number of girls abandon sport when they reach puberty for various reasons, which include social expectations and the lack of quality programs.
“I think it's something that must be addressed,” she said. “Abandonment rates, in my opinion, can be avoided if we understand girls better.”
Hayes said that more should be done to keep children in sport due to long -term effects on their lives.
She stressed that studies have shown that female athletes are more likely to be prosperous business leaders. A 2023 Deloitte survey noted that 85% of women who played competition sports say that the skills they have acquired were important to succeed in their professional career.
As she tries to revise the American women's program, Hayes looks at the overview. The career football coach said she hoped to have a lasting impact on the sport she loves.
“Winning in the field is one thing, and I absolutely like to do it, but I am completely to leave sport in a better place and to make sure that creating a system and an environment where generations beyond those I represent, you know, could enjoy the sport at a high level,” added Hayes.
