When Cindy Parlow Cone took over as president of U.S. Soccer in 2020, the federation and the sport in the country felt as fractured as it ever had.
The next five years under Parlow Cone’s leadership — which included a tight re-election campaign in 2022 — presented numerous challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic, an equal pay lawsuit, two collective bargaining agreement negotiations and the Sally Yates report. Somehow, U.S. Soccer emerged from it all looking like a more united organization, and one with real momentum heading into the 2026 World Cup.