Japan won its first SheBelieves Cup title Wednesday thanks to its 2-1 defeat of the U.S. women’s national team in the tournament’s final game. It’s only the second loss to Japan in USWNT’s history and might help reignite a rivalry that peaked across a run of major tournament finals in 2011, 2012 and 2015.

Wednesday night of the SheBelieves Cup of 2025 did not belong to Emma Hayes’ USWNT. Tear-filled eyes, shoulders down, and defeat filled the air in the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego when the Japanese soccer team crushed the USWNT with a 2-1 final score.

The USWNT's five-year reign as SheBelieves Cup champions ended on Wednesday, but there are reasons to be optimistic for the team's future

The United States women’s soccer team missed the chance to claim a sixth consecutive SheBelieves Cup title after losing 2-1 to Japan in Wednesday’s tournament finale.

For the first time in six years, the USWNT fell short in the SheBelieves Cup, as Japan took home the tournament by defeating Emma Hayes' side 2-1 in the finale. The U.S. began the tournament with a comfortable 2-0 win over Colombia, before a 2-1 victory over Australia.

The USWNT didn't win its sixth straight SheBelieves Cup, but for Emma Hayes, that's not what this year is about.

The US Women’s National Team’s 18-match unbeaten run under coach Emma Hayes came to an end on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup.

Lynn Biyendolo scored 42 seconds into the match and the United States beat Australia 2-1 on Sunday in the SheBelieves Cup.

The USWNT was second-best against an impressive Japan, who won the 2025 SheBelieves Cup after a 2-1 victory Thursday night.

Despite a 2-1 loss to Japan, Emma Hayes remains optimistic about the USWNT's future, highlighting squad progress and promising development toward the World Cup.

Speaking of Macario, it has been a long road back to the USWNT for the Chelsea player, who has been consistently sidelined with knee injuries since 2022. The 2025 SheBelieves Cup served as a comeback, with Macario picking up one goal, her first for the USWNT since '22 and one assist across two starts.

Toko Koga scored early in the second half and Japan held on to beat the United States 2-1 on Wednesday night for the SheBelieves Cup title.