Emma Hayes thanked her late father for helping her achieve her "dream" after coaching the United States to Olympic gold at Paris 2024.

USA defeated Brazil 1-0 in Saturday's final at the Parc des Princes through Mallory Swanson's goal just before the hour mark.

Hayes only took over as USWNT head coach in May, after leaving her role at Chelsea, and tasted success in her first tournament in charge.

Speaking to Discovery+ at full-time as the celebrations started, Hayes said: "I'm very emotional. It's been a dream of mine.

"I have to thank my dad - he's the one who pushed me to this position, to be able to come and coach an unbelievable group of players."

Hayes' father, who she has long described as a cornerstone in her football career, passed away last year.

"I've got my dad's necklace on," Hayes said post-match. "It's got an American eagle, and he was with me today and that helped. 

"The crowd were tremendous. Brazil were tremendous. I'm just speechless. I'm in shock."

The United States have now won five Olympic golds in the women's final - four more than any other nation - with this their first since 2012.

Swanson calmly converted to give USA the victory in the French capital on her landmark 100th senior appearance for her national side.

This latest triumph comes 10 games into Hayes' tenure and puts the poor showings at the 2020 Games and 2023 World Cup in the past.

"They have received me so well and taken on board everything I've asked," Hayes added. "They're tremendous people, players and role models and I love them."

Brazil have still yet to win an Olympic gold in the tournament, with this their third runners-up finish after also falling just short in 2004 and 2008.

Mallory Swanson marked her 100th cap with the winning goal as the United States defeated Brazil 1-0 to win a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal in women's football.

Two-time runners-up Brazil were seeking their first gold and thought they had taken the lead early on at the Parc des Princes, only for Ludmila's strike to be rightly ruled out for offside.

Swanson used her pace to break clear soon after but was unable to get the better of Lorena, with neither side truly going close to finding a breakthrough in the first half.

The Selecao suffered a blow early in the second period when Vitoria Yaya was forced off the field on a stretcher and their outing soon got worse when Swanson fired home.

Chicago Red Stars forward Swanson held her line well, latched on to Korbin Albert's throughball and calmly slotted past Lorena with 57 minutes on the clock in Paris.

Brazil could have taken a game of few clear-cut chances to extra-time, but an unmarked Adriana saw her header kept out by Alyssa Naeher in stoppage time as Emma Hayes' team claimed gold.

Data Debrief: Swanson the golden girl for USA

Swanson was denied a dramatic goal on her 99th cap for the USA in their 1-0 extra-time win over Mexico in the semis, but she marked her century in the perfect manner as she scored for the fourth time this tournament.

The 26-year-old is the 44th player in USWNT history to reach that milestone and is the youngest since Amy Rodriguez (25) did so in 2012.

The USA's fifth Olympic gold, coming 12 years after their last success in London, takes them four clear of Germany, Canada and Norway as comfortably the most successful side in the competition.

Emma Hayes is eyeing gold in her first tournament in charge of the USWNT, labelling their journey to the Olympics final as "the stuff dreams are made of". 

The United States face Brazil in Saturday's showpiece match at the Parc des Princes in a repeat of the 2004 and 2008 finals, fixtures the US won on both occasions.  

Hayes, who was appointed as Vlatko Andonovski's successor in May, has won eight of her nine games in charge (D1), scoring 19 goals and conceding just twice. 

The former Chelsea head coach won her seventh WSL title in her final season with the Blues, saying her rapid transition to the international stage has been a "whirlwind". 

"Going from my beloved Chelsea to the US women’s national team - what a whirlwind and what a dream all at once," Hayes said.

"To finish my time with Chelsea with another Women's Super League title and then be here competing for gold, honestly this is the stuff dreams are made of.

"I have visualised this moment so many times in my life."

Brazil are seeking their first gold in women's football at the Games, and are boosted by the return of Marta, who will play her final international match on Saturday.

The 38-year-old was shown a red card in Brazil's final group game against Spain for a high foot, resulting in her missing the quarter and semi-finals. 

Marta has scored 121 goals in 203 appearances for her nation, becoming the first player to score in five straight Olympics with her brace against Japan. 

“When I was a young coach assisting Vic Akers at Arsenal, we played a Women’s Cup two-legged final against Umea, the Swedish champions, and they had a young Marta,” Hayes recalled.

“I remember being on the touchline thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, who is this extraordinary player?’ To witness what she’s done on the pitch, I think she’s been more than a role model and icon, she’s been the best player.

“What she’s done for Brazil or the generation coming through, she’s been an inspiration.”

Team USA have the chance to win a first gold medal since London 2012 after winning bronze in Tokyo three years ago. 

Despite winning 16 major titles during her time at Chelsea, Hayes is hungry to add to her trophy cabinet while continuing her unbeaten start in the US dugout. 

"I like winning, it's part of my DNA," Hayes said. "I'm with a team that likes winning so of course our goal is to win the gold medal."

Sophia Smith believes the United States have "so much potential" after her extra-time winner sent them through to their first Olympics final since 2012.

The 23-year-old's 95th-minute strike proved the decisive goal of the USWNT’s 1-0 semi-final victory against an injury-stricken Germany.

The result means new coach Emma Hayes will have the chance to go for gold in her first major tournament at the helm.

Smith dedicated her goal to the effort of the whole US squad under the ex-Chelsea boss.

"I just saw an open net in front of me and knew I had to step up in the big moment," Smith told NBC. "I felt I had to do that for this team, we've been working so hard.”

Brazil cruised into the final of the Olympic Games with a 4-2 victory over Spain at the Orange Velodrome on Tuesday.

Salma Paralluelo netted two late consolations, but the damage was already done as Irena Paredes' own goal, Gabi Portilho, Adriana and Kerolin denied the world champions a place in the gold-medal match.

Brazil were still without legend Marta after she lost her appeal over a two-game ban, but her team-mates ensured she would bow out of Olympics action with the chance to play for the top prize.

Spain were behind after just six minutes as Cata Coll's poor clearance struck the unfortunate Paredes on the side to send it cannoning over the line.

La Roja struggled to gain a foothold, and Brazil doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time thanks to Portilho's composure when one-on-one with Coll.

Adriana made sure of their progress off the bench in the 71st minute – she struck the bar but was then on hand to head Portilho's nod-down in from close range.

That sparked Spain into life and Paralluelo's looping header snuck in at the far post before Alexia Putellas rattled the crossbar and forced Lorena into a smart stop to slow down the comeback attempts.

Kerolin delivered the hammer blow in the opening seconds of stoppage time by sliding her low shot through Coll's legs, though Paralluelo would have the last say, poking in her second of the match from close range in the 112th minute. 

Data Debrief: World champions denied

Spain were aiming to become the first side to win Olympic gold after lifting the Women's World Cup, but they just fell short at the final hurdle after being outplayed.

La Roja's late flurry of chances meant they finished with more shots than Brazil (26 to their 17) and more on target (11 compared to seven).

Brazil's dominance showed in other ways though, as they created an expected goals (xG) of 3.27 and had a total of six big chances, as they secured a meeting with the United States in the final on Saturday.

France's Olympic dream came to a halt as they lost 1-0 to Brazil on Saturday.

Gabi Portilho's 82nd-minute goal proved decisive in Nantes as Brazil claimed a place in the semi-finals.

Matters could have been vastly different for France had Sakina Karchaoui converted an early penalty, but she fluffed her lines from 12 yards.

Brazil will face Spain in the last four, while the other semi-final will see Germany take on the United States.

Germany drew 0-0 with defending champions Canada after 120 minutes of action in Marseille.

But Ashley Lawrence and Adriana Leon saw their penalties saved by Ann-Katrin Berger, who subsequently stepped up to slot in the crucial spot-kick as Germany secured a 4-2 shootout victory.

Data Debrief: Quarter-final hoodoo continues for France, Germany meet the USA again

France have now been eliminated at the quarter-final stage in seven of the last eight international tournaments in which they have participated.

Meanwhile, the USA and Germany will meet again in the last four of a major tournament for the fifth time, which is two more than any other match-up in the history of the Women's World Cup and the Olympics.

Marta left the field in tears after being sent off for a dangerous high tackle during Brazil's 2-0 defeat to Spain in their final Group C game at the Olympics.

The Brazil great narrowly missed Olga Carmona's head with an out-of-control attempt to reach the ball in first-half stoppage time, receiving a straight red card in what could turn out to be her final-ever Olympic game.

Brazil needed a win to secure a place in the knockout rounds, but now they face a nervous wait to see if they will be one of the two best third-place teams in the last eight – a match they would have to play without their captain.

Athenea del Castillo eventually got the breakthrough after 68 minutes, before Alexia Putellas scored in the 107th minute to ensure they stayed perfect to top the group.

It was a dominant performance by La Roja, who created an expected goals tally of 2.75 from 27 shots compared to Brazil's 0.3 from 10 efforts.

Spain will face the best third-place team from either Group A or B in the quarter-final on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Japan also secured a spot in the knockout rounds with an emphatic 3-1 victory over Nigeria.

Japan stunned Brazil in the second group game and continued their momentum by getting the job done in the first half.

Maika Hamano and Mina Tanaka put them 2-0 up before Jennifer Echegini pulled one back for Nigeria.

However, Hikaru Kitagawa's strike just before the break restored Japan's two-goal cushion and held onto that lead to set up a meeting with the winners of Group B in the next round. 

Marta has urged Brazil to bounce back quickly from their stoppage-time defeat to Japan at the Olympics on Sunday.

The Brazil great made her 200th appearance for the national team in their second group-stage game, but it was marred by a late lapse in concentration that saw Japan score twice in stoppage time to win 2-1.

Jhennifer's 56th-minute goal looked set to book Brazil a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament, but instead, they slipped down to third in Group C after Saki Kumagai and Momoko Tanikawa's goals.

And with world champions Spain up next for the two-time silver medallists, Marta, who is retiring at the end of the year, noted why it is so important that they quickly put that result behind them.

"All that mattered to Japan was winning the game," Marta said. "We took our eye off the ball and that has obviously ended up costing us.

"We could have been here celebrating a win, but instead we have to remain focused. But it's not over yet. We have to give it everything as a group. That is football. Anything can happen. Nothing has been decided."

The top two teams in each of the three groups advance into the knockout rounds, along with the two best third-place sides.

While Brazil would go through as things stand, that could all change on the final day, and head coach Arthur Elias echoed Marta's call to learn from the loss.

"I need to make amends, I need to tell the players the truth, no matter if it hurts," he said. "They obviously need to reflect. But I really recognise the effort of each and every one of them."

Vanessa Gilles scored a 112th-minute winner as Canada put their off-field issues aside to beat hosts France 2-1 at the Paris Olympics on Sunday.

After being found guilty of using a drone to film opponents' training at this and past tournaments, the Tokyo champions had six points deducted, while head coach Bev Priestman has been banned from all football-related activity for one year.

The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) are considering an appeal against the decision, but those controversies were put to one side when the team took to the field.

Starting the day bottom on -3 points, Canada, led by Andy Spence, had to come from behind to beat France after Marie-Antoinette Katoto put Les Bleues ahead just before half-time.

Jessie Fleming equalised from close range in the 58th minute, but Canada fought back, with Gilles getting some help from the woodwork to secure the win.

Meanwhile, Colombia's comfortable 2-0 victory over New Zealand means they now lead Group A after two games thanks to their goal difference.

Elsewhere, in Group C, Spain booked their place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare after a 1-0 win over Nigeria.

Alexia Putellas' long-range strike maintained La Roja's perfect start to the tournament as they bid to become the first team to win Olympic gold after lifting the Women's World Cup.

In the other group game, Japan ruined the party for Marta, who made her 200th appearance for Brazil in a shock 2-1 defeat.

Despite Mina Tanaka's penalty miss in the first half, Japan launched a comeback after Jheniffer's opener, with Saki Kumagai and Momoko Tanikawa both scoring in stoppage time to move second.

The game of the day came in Group B though, as Australia edged out Zambia in an 11-goal thriller.

Barbra Banda's hat-trick gave the minnows a 5-2 lead, but they could not hold onto it as Michelle Heyman made it 6-5 in the 90th minute to snatch a win.

Aitana Bonmati inspired Spain past Japan as La Roja started their Paris Olympics campaign with a 2-1 victory on Thursday.

Spain are aiming to become the first side to win Olympic gold after lifting the Women's World Cup, having defeated England in the final of that tournament last year.

Ballon d'Or winner Bonmati levelled after Aoba Fujino's stunning 13th-minute free-kick opener in Nantes, before the Spain midfielder teed up Mariona Caldentey's winner 16 minutes from time.

That result saw Montserrat Tome's side seize top spot in Group C ahead of Brazil, who edged past Nigeria 1-0 thanks to Gabi Nunes' first-half finish.

Elsewhere in Group A, defending champions Canada put off-field issues to one side by overcoming New Zealand 2-1 thanks to goals from Cloe Lacasse and Evelyne Viens in Saint-Etienne.

Canada's integrity had been questioned ahead of the game in the wake of a spying scandal, with assistant Andy Spence serving as head coach after Bev Priestman volunteered to sit out.

Priestman, two members of her staff and the Canadian Olympic Committee are being investigated by FIFA's disciplinary committee after a drone was spotted flying over New Zealand's training on Monday.

"Obviously the timing was quite terrible," said Canada captain Jessie Fleming of the drone incident after her side battled back following Mackenzie Barry's early opener.

"But I think for us, we've just leaned into each other as a player group and we really just want to focus on being here and playing."

Hosts France seemed on course for a routine victory in the other Group A game after Marie-Antoinette Katoto's first-half double and Kadidiatou Diani's goal against Colombia.

However, Catalina Usme pulled one back from the spot and Manuela Pavi further reduced the deficit nine minutes later, only for Mayra Ramirez's late red card to help France hold out for a 3-2 victory.

Meanwhile, Germany swept aside Australia 3-0 in Group B, inflicting the Matildas' joint-heaviest defeat at the Olympics, along with a loss against the same opponent by the same scoreline, at Sydney 2000.

Efforts from Marina Hegering, Lea Schuller and Jule Brand sealed the victory for the DFB-Frauenteam against the Tokyo 2020 semi-finalists.

Marta will play in her sixth Olympics after she was named in Brazil's squad for the Paris Games by coach Arthur Elias, who described her as "the greatest athlete of all time".

The Selecao's all-time leading scorer with 118 goals, the 38-year-old will appear at her final tournament with her country, having announced in April she will retire from international duty at the end of the year.

Marta has already made Olympics history. In Tokyo, she became the first player - male or female - to score at five successive Games, while she was part of the side that won silver medals in 2004 and 2008.

And Elias welcomed the inclusion of the six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, who has scored four times for Orlando Pride in the NWSL this season.

"She brings a lot to the table, she's the greatest athlete of all time," he said. "She's playing well, she deserved to be on this list.

"Marta's performance, her behaviour - with or without the ball - makes all the athletes see her as an example.

"I have the challenge of finding a way of playing to maximise her game. But she knows that you can only win with everyone."

Brazil begin their campaign against Nigeria on July 25, while they will also play Japan and 2023 World Cup winners Spain in Group C.

Brazil star Marta has announced she will retire from international football at the end of 2024.

The 38-year-old is the all-time highest scorer for Brazil, netting 116 goals in 175 matches for the national team.

She is also the top-scorer in the Women’s World Cup with 17 goals, finishing as a runner-up in 2007 when Brazil lost in the final to Germany.

The forward has won three Copa America Femenina titles and was part of the Brazil team that won silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Marta could make her sixth appearance for Brazil at this year's Games if she is selected in the squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because, regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team," Marta told CNN in an interview on Thursday.

"There will be no more Marta from 2025 in the national team as an athlete.

"I am very calm about this because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes."

The United States fell short tactically at the Women's World Cup and must now look to their European rivals for inspiration.

That is the view of former Italy striker and head coach Carolina Morace, who believes the USA's previous dominance of the women's game owed largely to their players' physical attributes.

The four-time winners recorded their worst-ever World Cup performance in Australia and New Zealand, losing to Sweden in a last-16 penalty shoot-out after narrowly avoiding a humiliating group-stage elimination in a goalless draw with Portugal.

Vlatko Andonovski resigned as head coach in the aftermath of their exit, with the USA having failed to score in back-to-back World Cup games for the first time in the tournament's history. 

Morace, who scored over 100 goals for Italy before coaching Le Azzurre between 2000 and 2005, believes the USA paid the price for falling behind their more astute rivals.

"They dominated the scene for years because physically the players were stronger, more trained than all the others," Morace told Stats Perform. "[Now] all the teams have physically grown. 

"They had to improve tactically. I coached Canada for a couple of years [between 2009 and 2011]. European football does not arrive there. 

"The innovations are in Europe, so the innovations that have been in Europe have not been [happening] in America. I don't know. 

"I am referring to occupying the empty spaces rather than passing between the lines, wanting to dominate the game, starting from the goalkeeper and pressing offensively. These are things they aren't used to doing, because it's a different kind of football there.

"In Australia and New Zealand, rugby is the national sport, so innovations come from there. Football is from Europe and innovations certainly come from here. 

"Maybe they thought that on a physical level they could still make up for the gaps they may have tactically, and it wasn't like this."

The USA scored just four times from 9.14 expected goals (xG) in their four games at the tournament, with star striker Alex Morgan failing to net from 17 attempts totalling 2.96 xG.

The World Cup – eventually won by Spain following Olga Carmona's final strike against England – was defined by upsets, with Germany and Brazil suffering group-stage eliminations.

Jamaica, South Africa, Morocco and Colombia earned plaudits by reaching the knockout stages, and Morace believes a sense of unpredictability contributed to the tournament's success. 

"It was an absolutely special World Cup because teams like Germany, the United States and Brazil immediately left the competition. It is clear that this has shocked everyone," she said.

"This certainly means that, on one hand, some teams have grown a lot, but it also means that teams like the USA or Germany or Brazil had to do better. 

"It was a very, very special World Cup. In the end, however, the final was played between the two best teams. Spain and England were the two teams absolutely on a tactical level and also on a technical level. They expressed the best football. 

"I wouldn't say that from a tactical point of view this was the best World Cup ever, because we saw that many teams had little possession, especially teams like South Africa, like Nigeria.

"The big teams probably didn't expect to find teams that played a different kind of football, more physical and more vertical. Then, in the end, the World Cup was won by the team that had the most possession in the whole championship."

Victors Spain managed more build-up attacks (23) than any other team at the World Cup, ahead of runners-up England (20). Meanwhile, the Lionesses were the only side to better Spain's 92 sequences of 10 or more passes, recording 100.

England will wear blue shorts instead of traditional white when the Lionesses take part in the World Cup after players expressed concerns over periods.

The new home strip, which will be debuted in Thursday's Finalissima against Brazil at Wembley, maintains the white shirt, with the away kit all in blue.

A change for Sarina Wiegman's team comes following feedback from players including Beth Mead and Georgia Stanway during Euro 2022.

Following the Lionesses' victorious campaign, the Football Association said discussions with players would be considered, and it has now acted to make alterations.

The strip, designed by Nike, follows moves by several domestic teams to change shorts over period concerns, and is the latest in a wave of new kits ahead of the tournament.

England's latest effort comes with a leak-protection liner, which Jordana Katcher, vice-president of Nike women's global sport apparel, lauded as a major step forward for design.

"We are thrilled to offer this new innovation to all athletes playing for Nike-sponsored federations this summer," she said.

"Professional footballers play two 45-minute halves without breaks. Many told us they can spend several minutes on-pitch concerned that they may experience leakage from their period.

"When we showed them this innovation, they told us how grateful they were to have this short to help provide confidence when they can't leave the pitch."

Following their clash with Brazil, the Lionesses will play a friendly with World Cup hosts Australia a week on Tuesday.

They then start their tournament campaign on July 22 against Haiti, before further group matches against Denmark and China.

European champions England will face off against Copa America Femenina champions Brazil at Wembley in the inaugural Women's Finalissima next year.

The clash on April 6 has been organised between UEFA and CONMEBOL to follow on from the success of the men's Finalissima in June, where South American champions Argentina defeated European title-holders Italy in front of a sold-out crowd at Wembley.

A cross-continent fixture has also taken place at youth level, with UEFA Youth League winners Benfica overcoming Uruguay's Club Atletico Penarol at the Estadio Centenario in August in Montevideo.

The clash will give both England and Brazil the opportunity to clinch a further title before the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, leading Three Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman to outline her excitement for the fixture.

"The great games keep on coming for us. This time, we have the opportunity to welcome Brazil to Wembley and it will be another big moment after the Euros and USA match," she said.

"Like us, they will be thinking about the World Cup next summer. This is a chance to again test ourselves against another top 10 team in the world, an opportunity to win another trophy and give our fans something special to watch, hopefully in a packed-out Wembley."

England's Euro success was only the second senior title they have ever lifted, while Brazil's triumph against Colombia in the Copa America was their fourth in a row and eighth in the nine editions of the tournament.