Open Mic | Mary Harvey on Building the Women’s Game

Mary Harvey has seen the women’s game from almost every angle in her career, as a USWNT goalkeeper to FIFA leader and WPS executive. Today, she leads the Center for Sport and Human Rights, and she joins Open Mic to talk about the evolution of women’s soccer, the lessons of its past and where the game goes next.

0:00 Intro

1:26 The 1991 World Cup

4:57 Harvey’s Journey to the USWNT

7:58 How 1991 Changed Women’s Soccer

11:53 Inside the 1996 USWNT

16:25 From Player to FIFA Leader

24:11 How World Cups Drive Development

28:26 What Happened to WPS?

35:12 The Future of the Women’s Game

41:51 The Responsibility of Each USWNT Generation

44:46 Sport, Human Rights & the 2026 World Cup