With the gold-medal win at the Olympics and her whirlwind 2024 behind her, Hayes was able to firm up and present her strategic vision for U.S. Soccer during the team’s January camp. She calls it “The WNT Way,” a plan that builds on technical director Matt Crocker’s vision for the program to grow the sport as a whole in the United States.

From the sporting side to commercial elements, the U.S. women’s national team coach said, the women’s game will benefit from an approach different than the men’s game.

I don’t get paid what Jürgen Klopp gets paid for me to take a sabbatical year.” Or even mentioning, “You can’t find a female coach working in the men’s game leading men”—these past statements from Emma Hayes do not necessarily reflect how strong of an advocate she is for the women’s game.