At the Fort Lauderdale headquarters, drenched by relentless rain, Italy Women continue to train ahead of the final fixture of an intense – and highly exciting – 2025. After a great European Championship and the October tests against Japan and Brazil, the Azzurre have looked to raise the bar even higher, flying to the USA to face the most iconic and successful team in the world. Friday’s defeat in the first friendly in Orlando served as a valuable lesson for the squad, highlighting areas for improvement. In tomorrow’s match at 19:00 local time (1:00 CET in Italy) at the Chase Stadium – home of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi – the players are determined to show that they have learned from the experience and can compete on equal terms for the full 90 minutes, even against a powerhouse of the game who sit second in the FIFA ranking (Italy are twelfth).

“The aim of these matches was to gain experience and improve our ability to handle difficulties, which will certainly help us grow,” said Andrea Soncin at the press conference preceding the final training session. “We are very focused on the process. Winning helps build a winning mentality, but facing opponents of this calibre is essential and can teach you a lot.”

To reduce the gap with the country that sets the standard in women’s football – which can rely on almost 2 million registered players compared to Italy’s 50,000 – continued investment and a systemic approach will be necessary. In the immediate term, however, the recipe for success is clear: “Tomorrow, we’ll need both quality and ferocity. They use space brilliantly and are a highly evolved team. On Friday, by leaving us almost no points of reference, they often disrupted our rhythm, forcing us to chase the game and waste valuable energy. It’s my responsibility to put the girls in the best possible position to express themselves: I need to find the right way to instil in them the belief that they can match the USWNT.”

Cristiana Girelli also answered journalists’ questions. After mentioning the possibility of finishing her career in the USA – “An experience there would help me grow in every way” – she gave a snapshot of the current situation: “We know we can do better than in the first encounter,” said the Azzurre No.10. “Over the next 90 minutes, we will need to step onto the pitch with composure and courage, push beyond fatigue, and give everything – something we probably weren’t able to do two days ago.”

Comments from a true leader, ready to inspire her teammates in the fixture preceding the start of the Azzurre’s World Cup qualifying campaign, which will kick off in March 2026 with two home matches against Sweden and Denmark. But the Juventus forward’s focus is firmly on the present: “Of course, a match like this makes you think about the 2027 World Cup,” she concluded. “Tomorrow will be a very important evening for us. If we can ignite the fire that allows us to make a difference, I’m certain we’ll give our opponents a serious challenge.”