Carli Lloyd has doubts about USWNT's chances to three-peat at 2023 World Cup

The United States women's national team have already cemented their legacy as a giant in Women's World Cup history. Since the quadrennial tournament's establishment in 1991, the USWNT have won it four times and never finished worse than third place.

But next summer in Australia and New Zealand, Vlatko Andonovski's side will have the opportunity to do something no team in men's or women's soccer has ever done: three-peat as World Cup champions. Can they actually do it? 

Carli Lloyd isn't so sure.

On Thursday's episode of "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union Podcast," Lloyd, a two-time World Cup-winner with the USWNT and a three-time FIFA Player of the Year-winner, explained why she's not ready to say her former squad will win the 2023 World Cup.

"You know, being a player, you always like when people are knocking you down and not supporting," Lloyd told Lalas and co-host David Mosse. "Right in this particular moment, I’m probably going to have to say no.

"But there’s time. They have a lot to prove and that’s the beauty of it. I think they still have a lot more time to grow and become even better. So I’m excited to see that and excited to see what’s to come for them."

This is far from the first time the USWNT have had their doubters. In fact, Lalas reminded Lloyd that before the U.S. repeated as champion in 2019, he told Lloyd that he didn't think they'd pull it off.

The difference is that the USWNT aren't considered the overwhelming favorite to win the tournament this year. Though they're FIFA's No. 1 team and FOX Bet's favorite to win it all, there's reason to believe England, a team that beat the U.S. in October, are ready to challenge the defending champs.

We'll see if Lloyd is right about the young Yanks. If she's wrong, it's safe to assume she won't be too broken up about it.