The U.S. women's national team accomplished what it set out to do in France: Win a fourth title.
With a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the finals of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, the Americans made history. The U.S. set a record for most titles won, becoming the first country to reach three-straight finals and joining Germany as the only two countries to win back-to-back World Cup championships through the eight editions of the tournament.
The Americans' 2019 title will be added to their titles from 1991, 1999, and 2015. With such a rich history in the sport, we take a look back at the USWNT's four World Cup wins.
Timeline of USWNT Women's World Cup Titles
1991 Women's World Cup, China
It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and the U.S. women's national team was just starting to make a name for itself. There were only 12 teams and 26 matches played.
The United States won each of its games in the group stage before advancing to take on Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals and then Germany in the semifinals. The U.S. then defeated Germany, 5-2, in the finals before beating Norway, 2-1.
1999 Women's World Cup, United States
This was the tournament that defined the U.S. women's national team and provided inspiration for years to come. It was the third edition of the Women's World Cup and the Americans were fighting for its second title after finishing in third place in 1995. The U.S. easily made it through the group stage with wins over Denmark, Nigeria and North Korea — giving up just one goal.
The Americans played Germany in the quarterfinals, took on Brazil in the semifinals and then faced China in the finals. The match was scoreless after regulation time and came down to penalty kicks. With the score tied at 4-4, Brandi Chastain stepped up and delivered as she made her PK to give the U.S. a 5-4 victory. That moment and the ensuing celebration changed the sport in the United States forever.
2015 Women's World Cup, Canada
The U.S. earned its third World Cup title in Canada after going three tournaments without securing a title. This tournament came just months after coach Jill Ellis took over the program.
The Americans advanced through the group stage with a 3-1 win over Australia, while their match against Sweden ended in a draw. The U.S. then defeated Nigeria to close out the group stage before facing Colombia in the round of 16. The Americans then defeated China 1-0 and Germany 2-0 before facing Japan in the finals. The U.S. dominated with a 5-2 win.
2019 Women's World Cup, France
The U.S. made it clear leading up to the tournament that the Americans were on a mission, and they weren't going to stop until they reached their goal. The U.S. cleared the group stage with a clean sheet and big wins over Thailand, Sweden and Chile. The U.S. had a shaky first game of the knockout stage against Spain, but rebounded with a dominant performance over France in the quarterfinals.
The Americans made it past England in the semifinals to take on the Netherlands in the final. They held on to close out the tournament with one last win to give them their fourth title to become historymakers.
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