USA vs Spain at Audi Field 2026: Getting There & Game Guide

The U.S. Women's National Team hosts Spain at Audi Field in Washington, DC on Saturday, October 10, 2026, with kickoff at 2:30 PM ET. This is a matchup between the reigning Olympic champion (USA) and the defending FIFA Women's World Cup champion (Spain, currently ranked No. 1 in the world), making it one of the biggest women's soccer events in the DC area this year. A pregame ceremony will honor retired USWNT legend Crystal Dunn, and the first 2,000 fans through the gates receive a commemorative bobblehead. Here is everything you need to know — tickets, how to get to Audi Field, parking realities, and why groups coming from Baltimore, Annapolis, or Northern Virginia might want to skip the drive entirely.

Match Details at a Glance

This is the fourth USWNT match at Audi Field. The team last played there on July 2, 2025, beating Canada 3-0. The USA has played 13 total matches in Washington, DC — the first 10 at the now-demolished RFK Stadium. Tickets are available through U.S. Soccer's official match hub. For a match of this profile — world No. 1 vs. No. 2, Crystal Dunn's ceremony, a Saturday afternoon in October — expect a near-capacity crowd.

Why This Match Matters

This is not a routine friendly. The USA and Spain have only played each other four times in history. The Americans won the first three — including a 2-1 victory in the 2019 World Cup Round of 16 — before Spain won the most recent meeting 2-0 in October 2022. Spain then captured the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, beating England 1-0 in the final, and currently sits atop the FIFA women's world rankings.

Head coach Emma Hayes called these October matches against Spain "the perfect tests" as the USWNT prepares for World Cup qualifying later in 2026. The October window marks the team's first games in over four months following a June series in Brazil. The match also features a pregame retirement ceremony honoring Crystal Dunn, the legendary USWNT defender who won the NWSL MVP while playing for the Washington Spirit in 2015.

How to Get to Audi Field

Audi Field is at 100 Potomac Avenue SW in the Buzzard Point neighborhood of southwest DC, about half a mile from Nationals Park and two miles from the National Mall.

By Metro (Recommended)

Navy Yard–Ballpark on the Green Line is the primary station — about a 10-minute walk southwest along Potomac Avenue, well-signed on match days. Waterfront (also Green Line) is roughly a 15-minute walk. Metro parking is free on weekends, so driving to a station and riding in costs nothing for the garage. The WMATA events page has match-day transit details.

By Car

On-site parking at Audi Field is extremely limited — this is a stadium designed around transit, not driving. Nearby Navy Yard garages charge $15 to $30 on match days. From Baltimore (~40 miles): I-95 S to I-295, then South Capitol Street — about 45 to 60 minutes, longer on a Saturday afternoon with event traffic. From Annapolis (~35 miles): US-50 W to I-295 S — about 45 minutes. From Northern Virginia (~8–15 miles): I-395 N to the Maine Avenue exit, then south on South Capitol to Potomac Ave.

Getting There From Baltimore, Annapolis, or the Eastern Shore

A 2:30 PM Saturday kickoff creates a specific challenge for fans outside DC. You are heading into the city in the early afternoon, finding parking in a neighborhood with almost none, watching a match, and then driving home during whatever weekend traffic pattern emerges. For groups of 4 or more, a chauffeured car service into DC turns the whole outing into an event instead of a logistics exercise.

The math works particularly well for this match because of the afternoon kickoff. A group from Baltimore gets picked up around noon, arrives at Audi Field with time to walk the neighborhood and grab food, watches the match, and the vehicle is waiting when they walk out. No parking apps, no garage receipts, no splitting across three ride-shares with surge pricing after 20,000 people leave a stadium simultaneously.

Where to Eat and Drink Before and After the Match

The Navy Yard neighborhood has transformed in recent years. Half Street and M Street between Navy Yard Metro and the stadium have restaurants and bars for pre-match food. The Wharf is a 15-minute walk west along the waterfront with a wider range of dining — grabbing food and drinks there for 30 to 45 minutes after the match while the first wave clears is smart whether you are on Metro or being picked up.

What to Know About Audi Field

Audi Field opened in 2018 as a soccer-specific stadium and is home to DC United (MLS), the Washington Spirit (NWSL), and the DC Defenders (UFL). At 20,000 seats, there is not a bad sightline in the building — it was built for exactly this kind of match, not a cavernous football stadium repurposed for soccer. The surface is natural Bermuda grass on a regulation 115 by 75 yard pitch. The stadium is fully ADA compliant with a complimentary shuttle between accessible parking and the entrance on match days.

Bike valet is free at the southwest corner of the stadium (opens when gates open, stays open at least an hour post-match). A clear bag policy likely applies — USWNT match-specific policies will be posted closer to the event, but Audi Field generally enforces clear bags for all events. Check the match page before you go. The Potomac Riverboat Company also runs boat service to and from the Nationals Park dock on match days, launching from Alexandria Marina and National Harbor — $20 one-way or $25 roundtrip.

Group Transportation for the Match

For groups coming from Baltimore (~40 miles), Annapolis (~35 miles), Columbia (~30 miles), or Northern Virginia, the afternoon kickoff makes group transportation more practical than an evening match. The pickup, travel, event, and return all happen in a single afternoon-to-evening window with no late-night driving. An Executive Sprinter van fits a typical fan group with room for gear and the ride itself becomes part of the day. For larger groups attending as a sporting event outing, a limo bus carries the full party.

The biggest pockets of group demand for this match are Baltimore (the largest nearby metro area without its own NWSL team), Annapolis (a natural fit for groups combining the match with a waterfront dinner afterward), Columbia and Ellicott City (strong youth soccer communities — prime territory for parent groups taking older kids to a marquee match), and Northern Virginia (closer to the stadium but still dealing with DC parking challenges). For any of these origin points, one vehicle beats circling for parking near a 20,000-seat sellout on a Saturday afternoon.

Frequently Asked Questions