Mia Hamm feels the U.S. men’s momentum—and Brazil’s

Mia Hamm says the U.S. men’s home tournament this summer carries the same spark she remembers from the 1999 U.S. women’s World Cup: belief built in small moments, then lifted by the crowd. Looking ahead to Brazil hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup, she points

When Mia Hamm walked into Lumen Field for the U.S. men’s group stage game against Australia this summer, she didn’t talk like someone watching from the outside. She spoke like someone tracking a familiar pulse—how a stadium can turn into a driving force.

“There was this incredible sense of positivity and hope and belief,” Hamm told The Athletic, after attending the USMNT’s group stage game against Australia at Seattle’s Lumen Field. She credits fans with bringing added energy that the players responded to.

For Hamm, the emotion isn’t about comparing teams across eras. She was part of the U.S. women’s national team that won the World Cup in 1999—American soccer’s defining moment, when the team delivered its second World Cup trophy while hosting the tournament.

By the time the U.S. women reached that home World Cup in 1999, Hamm says they were already among the best teams in the world. The U.S. men, she observes, entered their home tournament still trying to prove they belonged in that conversation. But the emotional current—the host nation beginning to believe—can look the same.

“The World Cup isn’t just about winning,” Hamm said. “It’s about an experience.” She described how that experience can change matches, with the “12th player” carrying momentum through the messy parts of a game.

“There are times when you might not have as much possession or your energy might be low, and the fans really help carry you through those dips,” Hamm explained. She also pointed to longer swings in rhythm: “lulls,” “shifts in momentum,” and stretches when the game begins to tilt the wrong way.

Those ideas lead naturally to the tournament she’s watching next—not because it’s in a different country, but because it carries the same question of what football can become when it finally gets the support it deserves.

Next summer, Brazil will host the first Women’s World Cup in South America. Hamm called the prospect thrilling, linking her excitement to Brazil’s football culture—and to what Brazil’s women’s team has already achieved despite decades of limited support.

“I think the history of the game is rooted in Brazil, the spirit, the passion, and the creativity. One of the reasons why we call it the beautiful game. I think there’s a direct line to Brazil. ” she said. “What their women’s team has been able to achieve with limited support and acknowledgment is so impressive.”.

For the U.S. women, Hamm said Brazil 2027 arrives at a different moment than 1999. The Americans are no longer in a world where their biggest rivals are predictable. She named three parts of the new landscape: Spain has become the sport’s technical standard. England has built one of the deepest player pools in the world. and Brazil will have home advantage.

“I think (U.S. head coach) Emma Hayes embraces the challenge and encourages it,” Hamm said. “She’s someone who sees the big picture.” She also framed the broader competition as a mirror of growth—something that raises the level of play and helps the sport grow, even as it makes Hayes’ job harder.

“She’s a competitor. She’s a student of the game. She wants to be challenged and challenge her players,” Hamm said.

Hamm described Hayes’ approach in terms of clarity: a defined vision. strong communication. and humility about where the team still needs to grow. “Every opponent you step on the field and game plan for creates different problems for your team,” Hamm said. Still, she believes the U.S. has enough to contend in Brazil as long as everyone stays healthy.

“Emma has a really clear vision and communicates incredibly well to the players and the staff about what she sees as the potential of this team,” she added. “They have a great opportunity to win.”

The heart of Hamm’s view goes beyond the U.S. team’s preparation. She ties Brazil’s hosting opportunity to a cultural pivot—the kind she says the 1999 tournament represented for the sport in America.

“Brazil was one of the teams we did not want to play because of how good they were. but we always felt that the lack of support was what kept them from really achieving greatness. ” Hamm said. “We need Brazil to be one of the best teams in the world to take our sport to the next level. I’m hopeful and that’s what I’m excited for in terms of them hosting the women’s World Cup next summer.”.

In Hamm’s telling, the common thread between Seattle this summer and Brazil next year isn’t just talent. It’s timing—the moment when belief, fueled by fans and shaped by leadership, can make the biggest stage feel not only possible, but inevitable.

Mia Hamm USMNT Lumen Field Australia Seattle 1999 World Cup Emma Hayes 2027 Women’s World Cup Brazil women’s soccer beautiful game