The U.S. Women’s National Team is headed back to San Jose, with Emma Hayes’ side set to face Japan on Saturday, April 11 at PayPal Park in the first of three matches between the two nations during the April FIFA window. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. PT at Bay FC’s home stadium, with the match airing on TNT, truTV and HBO Max in English, and Universo and Peacock in Spanish.
The United States enters the series coming off its 2026 SheBelieves Cup title, while Japan arrives as one of the hottest teams in the world after winning the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and booking its place in 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification. U.S. Soccer lists the Americans as No. 2 in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings and Japan as No. 5, giving San Jose an early look at one of the strongest matchups in the women’s international game right now.
PayPal Park hosts the opener of the three-game set, and the match brings a hometown moment for San Jose native Naomi Girma. Bay FC midfielder Claire Hutton is also set to have the chance to play in her club stadium on the international stage, adding even more local significance to the opener.
The April roster gives the U.S. another layer of intrigue too. Sophia Wilson is back with the national team for the first time in 17 months following her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter, while defender Tierna Davidson returns after a lengthy absence caused by an ACL injury. Their return adds proven experience to a group that is still building toward World Cup qualification later this year.
As always, the history between these two sides gives the matchup extra weight. The U.S. holds a 32-2-8 all-time edge over Japan, and the rivalry has produced some of the most memorable matches in women’s soccer history, including World Cup finals and Olympic meetings. But Japan also won the most recent matchup, beating the U.S. 2-1 in the 2025 SheBelieves Cup to take that title, so this weekend’s meeting in San Jose comes with a little extra edge.
Japan will not come in short on confidence. The Nadeshiko won all six of their matches in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, outscoring opponents 29-1, and they bring major threats like Mina Tanaka and Maika Hamano into this series. For the USWNT, Saturday is a chance not only to put on a show in San Jose, but to measure itself again against one of the few teams in the world capable of testing every phase of its game.
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