Mia Hamm interview: U.S. men’s exciting run, the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the impact of Brazil

If anyone understands the power of participating in a World Cup at home, it is Mia Hamm.

Hamm knows what it feels like when a stadium stops being just a venue and becomes part of the team. She knows how belief can build slowly, then all at once. And she knows that a tournament can become bigger than results. That is why, watching the U.S. men’s national team this summer, Hamm recognizes something familiar.

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

For Hamm, who helped deliver American soccer its defining moment in 1999 with the team’s second World Cup trophy, the connection is not about comparing teams or eras. The 1999 U.S. women were already one of the best teams in the world by the time the nation hosted the tournament. The 2026 U.S. men’s national team entered its home tournament still trying to prove it belonged in that conversation. But the emotional current is similar: a host nation beginning to believe.

“The World Cup isn’t just about winning,” Hamm said. “It’s about an experience.” That experience, she said, can change matches. The 12th player can carry players through “lulls, through shifts in momentum, through stretches when the game begins to tilt the wrong way.”

“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,” she explained.

But there’s another tournament Hamm has her eye on while she enjoys the summer of soccer in the U.S.

Next summer, Brazil will host the first Women’s World Cup in South America. For Hamm, the possibility is thrilling not only because of the country’s football culture, but because of what Brazil’s women have 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, Brazil 2027 will arrive at a very different moment than 1999. The Americans are no longer competing in a world where their biggest rivals are predictable. Spain has become the sport’s technical standard. England has built one of the deepest player pools in the world. 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.”

According to Hamm, the competition is a reflection of the growth; it improves the level of play and helps the sport grow. It also 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.

One of Hayes’ greatest strengths may be her clarity: a defined vision, strong communication and humility about where the team still needs to grow, according to Hamm.

“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.”

This tournament has a similar opportunity for Brazil that Hamm saw with the U.S. in 1999, a chance for a cultural pivot. One that she says is necessary for the game as a whole.

“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.”

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