CHICAGO (December 17, 2024) – Emma Hayes, who led the U.S. Women’s National Team to the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal in just her 10th match as head coach, has been named the winner of The Best FIFA Women’s Coach of the Year for 2024. Three key members of that gold medal-winning side, captain Lindsey Horan, defender Naomi Girma and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, were named to The Best FIFA Women’s 11. By virtue of her being named to the Best 11, Naeher won The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper for 2024, her final year on the USWNT.
This marks the second world coaching award of the year for Hayes, who on Oct. 28 was named the winner of France Football’s Ballon d’Or as the Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year. This was the first year a Ballon d’Or was given out to coaches for women’s and men’s soccer.
Few coaches have been more deserving of this FIFA award than Hayes was in 2024. After being named the U.S. Women’s National Team head coach in November of 2023, she led Chelsea FC to its fifth consecutive Women’s Super League title and just days later touched down in the USA to begin her role as USWNT head coach.
“We really appreciate the joy and energy Emma has brought to the team and U.S. Soccer,” said U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson. “Emma’s dedication to our players, staff and everyone who cares about soccer in the United States is inspirational and she is so deserving of this award.”
She coached her first matches with the USA in June and memorably led the USWNT to the 2024 Olympic gold medal, guiding the team to six consecutive victories in France while winning all three knockout games by 1-0 scores, with the quarterfinal and semifinal taking 120 minutes to decide.
“It’s been an amazing year on many levels, but my overriding emotion is gratitude,” said Hayes.
“I want to thank everyone who has been on this journey with us, especially the players, coaches and staff from Chelsea and the USWNT. In the middle of 2023, I never thought I would be sitting here as part of a gold medal-winning team, but I’ve loved working with the players and I’m very excited about 2025 and executing our WNT strategy. It’s going to be an exciting time for the players as we continue to build on what we accomplished in 2024.”
This is the fourth time a USWNT head coach has been named The Best FIFA Women’s Coach. Jill Ellis won the award in 2015 and 2019 after leading the USA to World Cup titles. Pia Sundhage won in 2012 after leading the USA to the Olympic gold medal in London. This is the second time Hayes has won the award, also taking the honor in 2021 as head coach of Chelsea FC.
Hayes, 48, finished second in the voting for this award in 2020 and 2023. The other nominees for The Best Women’s Coach award this year were Arthur Elias, head coach of Brazil; Elena Sadiku, head coach of Celtic FC; Futoshi Ikeda, head coach of Japan; Gareth Taylor, head coach of Manchester City; Jonatan Giraldez, who was head coach of Barcelona before moving to the Washington Spirit for the latter part of the NWSL season; Sandine Soubeyrand, head coach of Paris FC; and Sonia Bombaster, head coach of Olympique Lyon last season before moving to Chelsea FC this season to replace Hayes.
