ATLANTA (Oct.12, 2026) -- U.S. Women’s Cerebral Palsy (CP) National Team head coach Chris Maravalli has named the final 10-player roster for the 2026 IFCPF Women’s World Cup to be held from Oct. 15-23 at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center. This will be the first major international competition held at the facility and the first event open to the public (free reserved tickets available here).
The Americans enter the seven-team tournament ranked second in the world and aim for a second World Cup title after claiming the 2022 IFCPF World Cup championship. It will be Maravalli’s first World Cup as head coach of the U.S. Women’s CP National Team.
The U.S. will open group play against ninth-ranked Finland on Thursday, Oct. 15 (4:30 p.m. ET), and face third-ranked Japan on Saturday, October17 (4:10 p.m. ET). All matches will be broadcast live on the IFCPF YouTube Channel.
“I am incredibly excited and deeply proud of the group of players we are bringing into the World Cup. Our roster represents the best of what our program has built over the last four years: experienced competitors who have been tested on the world stage, alongside emerging talents who have earned every right to be here,” Maravalli said.
“What makes this group truly special is that it doesn't depend on one player. We have world championship pedigree, depth, versatility, and a team culture that I believe is stronger than ever with players stepping into new leadership roles and assuming higher levels of accountability.”
The roster is headlined by six players participating in their third IFCPF World Cup for the United States, including Michelle Cross (Mission Viejo, Calif.), a two-time U.S. Soccer CP Female Player of the Year, andmidfielder Jesslyn Kuhnel (Panama City, Fla.) who won the 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup Golden Boot after scoring 12 goals in the tournament. Kuhnel is first on the CP WNT’s all-time scoring chart and scored the extra time goals the won team’s lone World Cup crown in 2022. The other returning three-time veterans are hometown girl Joey Martin from Smyrna, Ga., and New Jersey-based Leah Glaser (Montclair, N.J.) and Catarina Guimaraes, who earned Golden Boot honors at 2022 IFCPF World Cup.
Defender Annie Wickett (Frederick, Md.) rounds out the experience sextet having been a rock all over the field for the U.S. in 2022 and 2024, serving time both in defense and goal.
Eight players from the 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup Roster return after the U.S. won the title with a 7-1 victory over world No. 1-ranked Australia.
Forward Kaia Spencer (Maple Valley, Wash.), 17, is the youngest player on the roster and earned her second World Cup nomination (2024, 2026), along with Isabella Stankunas, who has trained with the team since its inception. Goalkeeper Gabriella Scotto (Marlboro, N.J) and midfielder Janie Richardson (Flagstaff, Ariz.) receive their first World Cup call-ups.
Cassidy Leake and Kaia Spencer tied for the team lead with eight goals apiece at the 2024 World Cup. Leake, a longtime a member of the team and a U.S. Soccer Board Member, will miss the tournament through injury.
Added coach Maravalli, “We have a had a great training cycle and it has been rewarding to watch the players deal with some adversity, raise their performance, prepare against great competition, and set a standard of expectation that we hope will keep the World Cup title home, with us. This is a historic moment for U.S. Soccer, and we are ready to rise to the occasion and make our country proud.”
The Americans are 14W-2L-1D all-time and have outscored opponents 142-22 since beginning play in 2022. The field of seven teams competing in the IFCPF Women’s World Cup marks the largest women's competition in the history of women's CP soccer.
GOALKEEPERS (1): Gabriella Scotto^ (Marlboro, N.J.; 4/0)
DEFENDERS (3): Joey Martin^*+ (Smyrna, Ga.; 12/13), Michelle Cross^*+ (Mission Viejo, Calif.; 17/13), Annie Wickett^*+ (Frederick, Md.; 16/12)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Janie Richardson^ (Flagstaff, Ariz.; 5/2), Isabella Stankunas* (Trappe, Pa.; 5/5), Catarina Guimaraes*+ (Cranford, N.J.; 8/13), Jesslyn Kuhnel^*+ (Panama City, Fla.; 15/22)
FORWARDS (2): Leah Glaser^*+ (Montclair, N.J.; 13/6), Kaia Spencer^* (Maple Valley, Wash.; 12/18)
^Part of 2025 IFCPF Intercontinental Cup Roster
*Part of 2024 IFCPF Women’s World Cup
+Part of 2022 IFCPF Women’s World Cup
Head coach: Chris Maravalli
Assistant coach: Meg Morris
Schedule - 2026 IFCPF World Cup
| Date | Match | Kickoff (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct. 15 | USA vs. Finland | 4:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 17 | USA vs. Japan | 4:10 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Oct. 21 | Semifinal | 2 p.m. |
| Friday, Oct. 23 | Final | TBD |
** All matches will be played at Arthur M. Blank U.S. National Training Center
HISTORY VS. WORLD CUP OPPONENTS
The seven-team field is the largest in the tournament’s history.
The U.S. and Finland will meet for the first time at a World Cup in the group-stage opener.
The last time the U.S. faced Japan, it won 12-0 to reach the 2024 Women’s World Cup final, but the team’s drew 1-1 in the inaugural 2022 Women’s World Cup.
The U.S. beat Australia 4-2 to win the inaugural 2022 IFCPF Women’s World Cup, then lost to Australia 6-2 in the 2024 final. The Americans are looking to regain the title.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals on Oct. 21, with the winners moving on to the 2026 IFCPF Women’s World Cup Final on Oct. 23. As reigning IFCPF Intercontinental Cup champions, the CP WNT won the inaugural IFCPF Women’s World Cup in 2022 and finished as runner-up to Australia in 2024.
The CP WNT's participation in this tournament reflects U.S. Soccer’s ongoing commitment to the U.S. Way, by investing in resources, infrastructure, and comprehensive support for our Extended National Teams to ensure they are fully prepared to compete and succeed on the world stage.
U.S. Soccer has fielded and supported the Women’s CP National team beginning in 2022. As an important parts of U.S. Soccer's Extended National Teams program, the CP National Team, and by connection, hosting the IFCPF World Cup, all stand in service to soccer in the United States by showcasing both strong National Team environments, but also direct pathway connections to U.S. Soccer membership, namely CP Soccer.