Lindsey Horan heads into her third Olympics as the roster's most capped player. (Photo by Carmen ... [+]
The head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, Emma Hayes, has announced the 18-player roster (along with 4 alternates) for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Leading that roster with the most appearances is Lindsey Horan, a player who has overcome significant challenges to reach the top.
Horan made history as the first American female player to move to Europe straight out of high school. Despite facing criticism and body-shaming early on in her career, she is now heading into her third Olympics as team captain.
A testament of hard work and resilience. And if her soccer career is thriving, her off-field endeavors are also reaching new heights.
A Partnership That Suits Lindsey Horan As ‘Wine Is My Drink Of Choice’
Earlier this week, Francis Ford Coppola Winery announced a partnership with Lindsey Horan for the launch of Coppola Wines’ new advertising campaign for their ‘Diamond Collection’.
Horan expressed her enthusiasm for the opportunity, sharing, “I’ve always liked wine."
"That’s not a secret, you can ask my parents, that’s just a casual Sunday for us… having a cup of wine and enjoying each other’s company.”
A glass of fine wine is what Horan really appreciates at the end of a rough day.
When athletes consider brand partnerships, they often look for brands whose values align with theirs. This sense of alignment was evident to Horan when she was approached for the partnership.
“I spoke about this a lot with my agent… When I want to join a brand and add a partnership to my work, I just want to believe in it, I want to like it, and enjoy working with the brand. [Everyone] will tell you how much I enjoy drinking wine, it’s my drink of choice, and when this came up, I was really excited.”
The slogan chosen for the campaign resonates deeply with Horan, reflecting the sacrifices behind the “fabrication” of a soccer career.
“A soccer career takes time, it’s a process and you put everything into it, I look at my career and I know that I put everything into it,” says Horan.
Horan links this to her new partnership with Coppola Wines, “I guess for me it’s kind of thinking about that glass of wine at the end of a tough day… you celebrate in that moment because you did everything that you set your goals… and that’s how I look at this partnership, it’s like a celebration.”
Throughout her career, Horan has continually grown.
From her early days at PSG to her numerous achievements with the Portland Thorns in the NWSL, to reaching new heights with Olympique Lyonnais in France – where she won 2021/2022 the UEFA
A step-by-step journey towards the top… a process that resembles the life of a bottle of wine.
“And when I think of the older [bottles of] wine, and how it takes time to make them this great, I think of soccer and how a career is built, like mine.”
No Pressure Ahead Of The Paris 2024 Olympics
Lindsey Horan is excited for the upcoming Olympics. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty ... [+]
At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the USWNT were eliminated in the round of 16, marking their worst-ever finish in the competition, and sparking discussions about the need for a new era.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics approaching, some believe the team faces added pressure to perform and win gold. However, Horan disagrees.
“No, not at all, no pressure. This is a new tournament. We got to feel the disappointment of the World Cup, we got to talk about it, we got to move forward from it and that’s where we are right now.”
She emphasizes the team’s progress over the past year. “The past year has been a massive step forward in our preparation for another major tournament. The World Cup is in the past, it was unfortunate and obviously disappointing… because we wanted to do better for our country, for our fans, for our families.”
Horan is optimistic about the team's prospects in the Olympics. “You’ll see a great team coming into these Olympics, and I think there is no added pressure. We look at it as a process and we want to go win at the end of the day, but step by step.”
Following this major country-wide disappointment of the WWC, Vlatko Andonovski announced his departure. After an extensive search, the decision was made to appoint Chelsea WFC’s legendary manager, Emma Hayes, as the new head coach.
Lindsey Horan Sees A Leader In Emma Hayes
Can Emma Hayes lead the USWNT to their first Gold medal since London 2012? (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI ... [+]
Hayes only officially took the job in May as she was committed to finishing the season with Chelsea, so it's far too early to make definitive judgments about her tenure, a point Horan agrees with.
“Obviously, she’s just come in now, so it’s more difficult for her. It’s a different process for her leading into the Olympics. But we’re going to go and do the best we can and we want to win but to able to have a coach like that leading us into a new cycle, with these Olympics and the next World Cup. It’s very exciting.”
When asked about what makes Hayes special, Horan highlighted her manager’s outstanding personality.
“I see a leader. I see someone who is very inspirational, motivational. You want to play for her, you don’t want to disappoint her, you want to learn and want to grow. She’s such a true leader and I think she can take the team to incredible places.”
An Increased Sponsorship Interest In Women’s Sports
In recent years, women’s soccer has been undergoing significant evolution. Men’s clubs are investing in women’s teams, TV networks are broadcasting more championships, and sponsors are increasingly supporting female soccer players.
“This is massive, you’re seeing it all over the place now. Women are getting what they deserve, its again, one of those things that take time. It’s a massive progress… and I’m reaping the benefits of it because a lot of brands and sponsorships are coming to us on the USWNT… but you know it’s really getting bigger, especially in the US. You see the investment that is going into women’s sports.”
However, Horan acknowledges that this level of investment is not consistent worldwide.
“When I look at it from a different perspective, you’re in France and I’m playing in France, and we know this. It’s not good enough. I love France but it needs to keep growing.”
“People are finally valuing women’s sports which should have been the case many, many years ago but here we are and worldwide it needs to keep growing.”
A New Era For Women's Sports
Luckily for her, while during the first years in her career, sponsorship opportunities weren't as frequent as they are now, she is happy with the increased interest that women's sports are witnessing.
“It’s really exciting for me to see a brand actually invest in my hard work and it’s taken a lot of time for that to be the case in my career because it wasn’t the case at the beginning but you see the younger athletes getting that and that is how it should be.”
“I’m so honored and thankful that brands like Coppola Wines that are investing in me and see that in me… and hopefully see what I can do for them as well. I’m a player who will do my absolute best to show the woman and the player that I am, every single day… show up and work.”
Playing The Olympics In France
Lindsey Horan plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via ... [+]
Having made her mark with Olympique Lyonnais since arriving in France in January 2022, these Olympics hold special significance for the USWNT captain.
“Yeah, it’s very special, France has always been my second home. When I played the WWC 2019, I didn’t think about it as much until I got there, and I had a game at Parc des Princes and being there in Paris was incredible for Tobin [Heath] and I.”
The USWNT will kick off their tournament against Zambia at Stade de Nice on July 25, followed by matches in Marseille at Stade Velodrome: first against Germany on July 28, then against Australia on July 31.
The possibility of playing at her club's Groupama Stadium hinges on advancing to Round 2.
“I hope we have a game in Lyon… it will be the case if we do well in the group, but just being in France, helping the girls with some French… yeah it’s going to be really special.”
What Does This Partnership Hold?
Lindsey Horan has been selected as the partner for Francis Ford Coppola Wines’ new advertising campaign featuring their flagship California wine brand, Diamond Collection.
Preparing for her third Olympics, the USWNT captain reflects on a lifetime dedicated to refining her skills, overcoming challenges, and emerging as one of women’s soccer's top players.
Her illustrious career embodies the central message of Coppola Diamond Collection’s ‘It Takes Time to Make a Diamond’ campaign, which celebrates individuals who have persevered through adversity.
While women’s sports face challenges and underrepresentation, Horan is one of the top competitors at the helm of recent excitement and growing conversation around females in athletics.
Her journey, marred by struggles such as body-shaming and the rigorous path to becoming an Olympic athlete, serves as a testament to the fact that success in soccer, like crafting the perfect wine, requires dedication and perseverance over time rather than being an overnight achievement.
Lindsey Horan In A Few Lines
- She made history as the first American female player to sign a professional contract straight out of high school when she signed for Paris Saint-Germain in July of 2012 soon after her graduation.
- She played for PSG through the end of 2015 before returning to the USA and signing with Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL.
- Played for the Thorns from 2016-2021, collecting NWSL MVP (2018), NWSL Championship Game MVP (2017), and NWSL Best XI (2018) honors, while also leading the Thorns to the 2017 NWSL Championship and two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021) during that span.
- Returned to France in January of 2022, joining Olympique Lyon on loan, and later that year helped Lyon win the 2021-22 UEFA Women’s Champions League, becoming the fourth American to hoist the trophy.
- In 2023 she helped lead Lyon to its 10th Coupe de France Féminine title, where the team beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the final on May 13, as well as the club’s 16th Division 1 Féminine league title, tallying 5 goals and 2 assists along the way.
- A two-time Olympian, as she made her Olympic debut in 2016 and helped the USA to bronze in 2021, Horan is on her way to her third Olympics.
- She is the most capped player selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics with 148 appearances.
