After the success of Netflix’s docuseries Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team, the streamer has a new project about the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team in the works – The 99’ers. This team included greats like Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, Briana Scurry, and Joy Fawcett. They won the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and changed the game forever on and off the pitch. Now, their story will be told in a movie on Netflix that already has its own team. So, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about The 99’ers!
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What Is The 99’ers About?
This team made history by winning that World Cup. Who doesn’t remember the first time they saw Brandi Chastain rip off her jersey in celebration after scoring the penalty kick that meant the U.S. beat China? While competing on the world’s stage, the ’99ers advocated for women’s soccer. Their efforts expanded involvement and investment. They fought for better pay and treatment.
They paved the way for the U.S. Women’s National Team that went on to win the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups. Former USWNT player Tobin Heath even mentioned as much at her retirement ceremony, celebrating her 13-year national team career. All of which led to the landmark agreement with U.S. Soccer that secured the women’s team equal pay in 2022. There is no story about the women’s game in the United States without this team.
Netflix has released an official synopsis for The 99’ers, which reads as follows:
The 99’ers follows the 1990s US Women’s National Soccer Team who, under the scorching summer sun and in a stadium filled with 93,000 fans, defied the odds to emerge victorious in a dramatic penalty kick shootout against China in the 1999 Women’s World Cup final. This monumental win captivated millions worldwide and forever altered the course of women’s sports.
Katie Lovejoy, Dana Stevens, and Peter Hedges penned the script that’s based on The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team and How It Changed the World by Jeré Longman. Emmy Award-winner Nicole Kassell is directing the movie.
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Who Stars as the USWNT?
People We Meet on Vacation’s Emily Bader was the first to join the cast as star forward Mia Hamm. Emilia Jones will play midfielder Julie Foudy, while Perry Mattfeld will portray the National Soccer Hall of Fame forward Michelle Akers. The cast also includes Julia McDermott as defender Brandi Chastain, Annabel O’Hagan as defender Carla Overbeck, Shaunette Renée Wilson as goalkeeper Briana Scurry, Lizzy Greene as midfielder and forward Kristine Lilly, and Isabelle Fuhrman as defender Joy Fawcett. Alessandro Nivola rounds out the cast as coach Tony DiCicco and Zoey Deutch as US women’s soccer executive Marla Messing.
The stars united with their real-life counterparts at the 2026 SheBelieves Cup final, where the USWNT accomplished a 1-0 win against Colombia in March 2026. Forward Alyssa Thompson scored the late but winning goal, making it her fourth for the USWNT. Meanwhile, this year’s win makes it the eighth time the United States has lifted the SheBelieves trophy.
When Does The 99’ers Premiere?
Netflix has secured the rights to stream the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, a premiere date for The 99’ers will be revealed at a later date. So, stay tuned for everything you need to know about the movie!
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