UC Santa Barbara to Host USWNT Friendly at Harder Stadium

The U.S. Women’s National Team is finishing up its January training camp with a big match against Chile on January 27th at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, California. You can catch all the action at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET on TBS and HBO Max in English, and on Universo and Peacock in Spanish. If you prefer radio coverage, listen in to Westwood One in English or Futbol de Primera in Spanish.

This will be the USA’s first training camp of the year, running from January 17th to the 27th at the Dignity Health Sports Park (DHSP). The match against Chile will wrap up a set of two games that will kick off the 2026 USWNT schedule.

Mark your calendars for the first match on January 24th at DHSP against Paraguay at 2:30 p.m. PT / 5:30 p.m. ET. You can watch it on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max in English, or on Universo and Peacock in Spanish. If you prefer radio, the match will be broadcast in English on Westwood One and in Spanish on Futbol de Primera.

This historic event on the campus of UC Santa Barbara marks the first-ever international match for the USWNT on the Central Coast of California. In fact, it’s only the second match ever played by the team in the state of California north of Los Angeles and south of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Head coach Emma Hayes shared, “One of the goals of U.S. Soccer is to take our National Teams to new markets around the country, and I applaud that. Playing in a city for the first time is not a common occurrence at this point in our history, so I know our players will enjoy being in beautiful Santa Barbara.” Chancellor Dennis Assanis added, “UC Santa Barbara is honored to host the United States Women’s National Soccer Team – one of the most successful teams in the world. We look forward to a memorable experience at Harder Stadium for the campus and the greater Santa Barbara communities.”

When it comes to the team’s history with Chile, they’ve only met three times before. The most recent showdown was a hard-fought 3-0 victory for the USA during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Paris, France. Chile is ranked 45th in the world and fifth in South America.

The USWNT has a special connection to Santa Barbara. In 1991, they held a training camp at UCSB before heading to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in China PR. The team played two exhibition games at Harder Stadium, including a rare match against a collegiate team. This historical link to Santa Barbara is deeply tied to the beginning of USA’s FIFA Women’s World Cup journey.

Keep an eye out for more exciting events coming up with the USWNT. Hosting international matches like this is about more than just the game – it’s a celebration of connection, community, and excellence. Games like this have the power to unite us all around something bigger than ourselves. We’re thrilled to have the U.S. Women’s National Team come to Harder Stadium and showcase their skills.