The United States women's national team ended the year as No. 1 in the FIFA rankings.
Emma Hayes' team won gold at the Paris Olympics to mark its turnaround in form after its reign as world champion ended last year and Spain established itself as the dominant force in women's soccer.
The U.S.'s triumph in France -- beating Brazil 1-0 in the final -- saw it climb four places to top the FIFA rankings in August. And it maintained top spot in the final rankings of the year, which were released Friday.