Ex-footballer Carli Lloyd has admitted that her USA women’s team was once beaten 5-2 by an under-15 boys side in a practice match.
The story, until now unconfirmed, was reported in April 2017 but has gone down as a myth in the intervening years.
A fan asked Lloyd on X/Twitter: “[Is it] true you lost to a bunch of 15 year old boys?”
Lloyd could easily have dodged the question, but admitted that it did, indeed, happen against an FC Dallas youth team.
She said: “Yes it’s true. I know…thousands of people have already brought that up.”
“They were good. We actually lost to a youth Bayern Munich team in my career as well but then we went on to win Olympics and World Cups. So…..”
In a separate message, she added: “They should beat us. Bigger, stronger, faster! Boys always gave us a run for our money! It was great prep.”
The team was managed by Jillian Ellis at the time, and they were preparing for a run of international friendlies ahead of the World Cup the following year.
They had already lost 1-0 to England and 3-0 to France, so the friendly against Dallas under-15s might have caused some concern among players.
Nonetheless the USA squad were clearly gracious in defeat, as they posed for pictures with the Dallas players.
Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe were seen posing with the teenagers as they celebrated their incredible win.
Two years later, the pair helped the US team to win the World Cup in France, so it clearly didn’t affect them too much.
That was a better performance than in 2023, when the most successful women’s football team ever slumped to a defeat in the last 16, with Spain and England going on to compete in the final.
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