USWNT Gold Cup roster 2024: Final list of players for inaugural Concacaf tournament

The U.S. women's national team's quest for Olympic gold is on the horizon.

But before the Stars and Stripes compete in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, the USWNT will host the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup, slated to run from February 20 through March 10.

The USWNT enters the 12-team tournament as the No. 2 team in the world and the favorite to win the title, but Canada, Brazil and Colombia also bring strong teams to the table.

From prolific goal-scorer Sophia Smith to stout center back Naomi Girma, the USWNT is in the midst of a youth movement. That shows in the roster, which includes 19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw and 18-year-old Olivia Moultrie but leaves off several veteran stars.

Roster mainstays Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelley O'Hara, all of whom won the 2015 and 2019 World Cup titles with the USWNT, were left off the team.

Just which U.S. players will take part in the festivities? The Sporting News has you covered on all things USWNT as their roster is unveiled.

USWNT roster for Concacaf W Gold Cup 2024

The following 23 players were called into the United States squad for the 2024 Gold Cup.

Where is Alex Morgan?

The 34-year-old forward was left off the roster for the Concacaf W Gold Cup.

Morgan has not scored for the USWNT since last February. She had one assist at the 2023 tournament but no goals in a disappointing run for the two-time defending champions.

While Morgan won the 2015 and 2019 World Cup titles with the USWNT, she did sit through an eight-month hiatus after the 2021 Olympics. And she could return in time for the 2024 Olympics.

Interim head coach Twila Kilgore refused to rule out any players, calling Morgan and other Gold Cup snubs "very much so in the mix."

Sauerbrunn and O'Hara were other notable veteran omissions. Also left off the roster were Sofia Huerta, Aubrey Kingsbury, Kristie Mewis, Ashley Sanchez and Andi Sullivan, all of whom played in the 2023 World Cup.

Alyssa Thompson, 19, also did not make the roster, but she is dealing with a minor back injury, which necessitated her absence.

MORE: Alex Morgan's USWNT roster snub, explained

Where are Mallory Swanson, Catarina Macario and Christen Press?

Several marquee names remain sidelined for the Concacaf W Gold Cup due to injuries.

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson tore her patellar tendon in a USWNT friendly last April, an injury that required a second surgery to deal with septic infection.

The 25-year-old forward out for the Concacaf W Gold Cup despite her inclusion on the preliminary roster, but she is training with the team. Two other nonroster players are training with the team: Savannah DeMelo, a 25-year-old midfielder who played in the 2023 World Cup, and Gisele Thompson, the 18-year-old uncapped sister of Alyssa.

Chelsea forward Catarina Macario suffered ACL tear while playing for Olympique Lyonnais in June 2022. Despite signing with Women's Super League superpower Chelsea in the summer of 2023, Macario has yet to feature for the Blues as she continues to work her way back from injury.

The 24-year-old is nearing a return to the pitch, Chelsea and soon-to-be USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said this week. But her recovery hasn't progressed enough for her to take part in the February tournament.

Christen Press, who starred alongside Swanson at the 2019 World Cup, is an NWSL free agent as she navigates her ACL recovery. Like Macario, she tore her ACL in June 2022 and has yet to return to the pitch.

The injury required four surgeries, and the 35-year-old forward's national team career could be behind her. But Press is remaining optimistic, as she told The Athletic's Meg Linehan recently.

“The first thing I need to do is get into training, but then I can get into games, then I can score goals, then I can have an outstanding season, then I can play on the national team again," Press said. "I don’t have anything ruled out. But the most important thing for me right now is just the first step: getting back into training.”

USWNT schedule for Concacaf W Gold Cup 2024

USA Group E schedule for 2023 Women's World Cup

Six teams are competing in play-in games on Feb. 17. The winner of the preliminary match between Guyana and the Dominican Republic will face the USWNT in its opening match on Feb. 20.

If the USWNT advances from the group stage, the team will advance to the quarterfinals, which are set for March 2 and 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The semifinals are set for March 6 and the championship match for March 10, with both rounds at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.