It's a great time to be a fan of women's soccer, as Netflix is officially working hard on bringing to life The 99'ers, a project focusing on the iconic US women's national soccer team from the 90s.
As the streamer puts it, The 99'ers is “a film that celebrates the US women's national soccer team and their nail-biting victory in the massively successful tournament that set attendance and TV viewership records.”
The project is being directed by American filmmaker Nicole Kassell, whose TV credits include episodes of Watchmen, The Killing, The Americans, Suits, and more. Kassell is working from a script by Katie Lovejoy (Love at First Sight, To All the Boys: Always and Forever), Dana Stevens (The Woman King, Life or Something Like It), and Peter Hedges (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, About a Boy).
If you want to know more about The 99'ers, we've gathered all the information we have about the upcoming soccer movie below—including side-by-side photos of the confirmed cast and the real people they'll portray.
What will The 99'ers be about?
Netflix has confirmed that The 99'ers will be an adaptation of Jeré Longman's 2001 book The Girls of Summer: The US Women’s Soccer Team and How It Changed the World.
Much like the book, the project will follow the story of the 1999 US women’s national soccer team, which won the FIFA Women's World Cup against China in an intense penalty-kick shootout before over 93,000 fans at Pasadena's Rose Bowl. The event is a highlight in American sports and is highly regarded as a defining milestone in women's sports.
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Who is in the cast of The 99'ers?
Netflix announced the first cast members of The 99'ers in March 2026, and they are as follows:
California native Julia McDermott will portray Brandi Chastain, who famously wore the number 6 during the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she scored the winning penalty kick. Chastain's image celebrating her victory has become etched in sports history.
Zoey Deutch will play Marla Messing, whom Netflix describes as a “trailblazing US women’s soccer executive.” Messing served as the President and CEO of the organizing committee during the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.
People We Meet on Vacation star Emily Bader returns to Netflix to play forward Mia Hamm, who's regarded as a legend in American soccer.
British actor Emilia Jones, whom you might recognize from Locke & Key, will play midfielder Julie Foudy.
Alessandro Nivola (yes, that's Sam Nivola's father) will play the late Tony DiCicco, who coached the team from 1994 to 1999, during which they won gold at the Olympics and the World Cup.
Guyanese actor Shaunette Renée Wilson, best known for The Resident, will play legendary goalkeeper Briana Scurry, who donned the number 1 in the team.
Perry Mattfeld (In the Dark, Shameless) portrays forward Michelle Akers, a National Soccer Hall of Famer. Akers is considered one of the greatest players in women's soccer history. She won the Bronze Ball during the World Cup.
Virginia native Annabel O’Hagan, best known for Fallout, will play defender Carla Overbeck. Overbeck was the captain for the US Women's National Team from 1993 until 2000.
22-year-old Lizzy Greene, who rose to fame in the Nickelodeon sitcom Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, will play Kristine Lilly, the most-capped player in the history of women's soccer. Lilly made her debut in the US national team in 1987 and stayed on the team until 2010.
Orphan star Isabelle Fuhrman rounds off the starting lineup for the project, taking on the role of Hall of Famer and defender Joy Fawcett.
Does The 99'ers have a release date?
At the time of writing, The 99'ers does not yet have a tentative release date on Netflix.
Is there a trailer or first look for The 99'ers?
Given that the project is still in pre-production, there's currently no trailer or first look for The 99'ers.
This post will be updated as news about The 99'ers breaks.
