Once every four years, 23 of America’s best women soccer players have the honor of representing their country at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
But despite the massive spotlight that comes with playing on a global stage, these athletes spend most of their careers wearing a different jersey. Club competitions make up the majority of players’ matches annually, with NWSL and European leagues providing a place for the world’s elite talents to ply their trade.
The same is true even for such USWNT stars as Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Alyssa Thompson and more.
Here’s a look at where each of the 23 individuals on the USWNT’s 2023 World Cup roster play their club soccer, and the path they have taken to get to this stage:
MORE: Why Julie Ertz may be ‘indispensable’ for USWNT’s 2023 World Cup hopes
Club teams of USWNT World Cup players
Aubrey Kingsbury, goalkeeper, Washington Spirit (NWSL)
The 31-year-old has made 67 appearances for Washington since being traded to the Spirit by the Orlando Pride in 2018. She has also spent time in the Norwegian, Danish and Australian leagues throughout her ten-year professional career.
Casey Murphy, goalkeeper, North Carolina Courage (NWSL)
The former Rutgers Scarlet Knight began her pro career with Montpellier in France’s Division 1 Feminine in 2018. After one season in Europe, she returned to America with Reign FC before being traded to the Courage in 2020. She has made 41 appearances in three seasons for North Carolina.
Alyssa Naeher, goalkeeper, Chicago Red Stars (NWSL)
The 35-year-old veteran has spent most of her career stateside with the exception of a stint with German club Turbine Potsdam between 2011 and 2013. After beginning her NWSL career with the Boston Breakers, she was traded to Chicago in 2015 and has since made 93 appearances for the Windy City since the 2016 NWSL season.
Alana Cook, defender, OL Reign (NWSL)
After a successful college career at Stanford, Cook opted to pursue a career in Europe after turning pro in 2019. She signed a three-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain and went on to make 21 appearances for Les Rouge-et-Bleu.
In 2021, she returned to the United States, inking a deal with Seattle’s OL Reign. She has been a rock at the back for the NWSL side and helped the team finish first place in the regular season standings in 2022.
Emily Fox, defender, North Carolina Courage (NWSL)
A former North Carolina Tar Heel, Fox returned to the state earlier in January 2023 when she was traded to the Courage from Racing Louisville. The 25-year old has already been a member of the USWNT setup for almost five years since her first call-up in November 2018 as a college sophomore.
Crystal Dunn, defender, Portland Thorns FC (NWSL)
The longtime USWNT star has spent most of her career in the NWSL, but she did hop across the pond for a short stint at English club Chelsea between 2017 and 2018.
She began her career stateside with the Washington Spirit, then joined the North Carolina Courage in 2018 after returning from Chelsea. She was traded to Portland in October 2020 as part of a deal also involving her international teammate Casey Murphy.
Naomi Girma, defender, San Diego Wave FC (NWSL)
One of the USWNT’s brightest young stars, Girma was selected by San Diego with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. She has already made 30 appearances for the club, and she was named NWSL Defender of the Year and NWSL Rookie of the Year in 2022. She committed her future to Wave FC last month by signing a contract extension until 2026.
Sofia Huerta, defender, OL Reign (NWSL)
The veteran fullback briefly represented Mexico’s international team early in her career before switching to the USA in 2017. The majority of her pro career has been spent in the NWSL, including stints with Chicago, Houston and now OL Reign in Seattle. However, she also went out on loan to Australia twice, once with Adelaide United and once with Sydney FC.
Kelley O’Hara, defender, Gotham FC (NWSL)
The 34-year-old getting set to compete in her fourth career FIFA Women’s World Cup has spent her entire club career in the U.S.
She first turned pro in 2009 after an impressive college career at Stanford. Since then, she has turned out for Pali Blues in Los Angeles, FC Gold Pride in the Bay Area, the Boston Breakers, Sky Blue FC (now Gotham FC), the Utah Royals and the Washington Spirit. Earlier this year, she agreed a deal to return to the New York area with Gotham FC.
Emily Sonnett, defender, OL Reign (NWSL)
The University of Virginia product was selected No. 1 overall by Portland in the 2016 NWSL Draft. She has suited up for four NWSL clubs: Portland, Orlando, Washington and most recently OL Reign, whom she joined earlier this year after being traded by the Spirit. She has also had two spells abroad, first with Australia’s Sydney FC in 2017-18 and then with Swedish club Kopparbergs/Goteborg FC IN 2020.
Savannah Demelo, midfielder, Racing Louisville (NWSL)
Demelo will make her major international debut at the World Cup after being called up for the squad by coach Vlatko Andonovski. The 25-year-old began her pro career last season after being selected by Racing Louisville with the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s draft.
Julie Ertz, midfielder, Angel City FC (NWSL)
The 31-year-old Ertz, who is married to Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, has spent her entire nine-year professional career in the NWSL. The first seven seasons came with the Chicago Red Stars, for whom she made 95 appearances and scored six goals. She was traded to Los Angeles-based Angel City FC in 2021, and made her debut for the club in April 2023 after having a baby in 2022.
Lindsey Horan, midfielder, Olympique Lyonnais (Division 1 Feminine)
Horan is the only member of this year’s USWNT’s World Cup squad currently under contract with a club outside of the United States.
Despite having a scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina, she opted to forgo college and begin playing professionally in Europe at the age of 18. She spent four very successful seasons with Paris Saint-Germain in France, racking up 46 goals in 58 appearances for the club.
In January 2016, she signed a contract with Portland Thorns FC to return to the U.S. After six years in Portland, she went back to Europe in 2021 on a loan deal with French champions Olympique Lyonnais. Last month, she agreed to a permanent contract with the club, and she will compete in Division 1 Feminine once again starting this fall.
Rose Lavelle, midfielder, OL Reign (NWSL)
A supremely talented midfielder, Lavelle competed in Europe as recently as 2021, when she suited up in 16 games for Manchester City in England’s FA Women’s Super League. However, she has since returned to the NWSL with OL Reign in Seattle.
The 28-year-old has also taken the field for the Boston Breakers and Washington Spirit since her NWSL premiere in 2017.
Kristie Mewis, midfielder, Gotham FC (NWSL)
A former Boston College Eagle, Mewis actually played her first professional game for Canberra United FC in Australia in 2013. Shortly thereafter, she was drafted by FC Kansas City with the No. 3 overall pick in that year’s NWSL Draft.
Since then, she has bounced around between seven different clubs, including five different NWSL teams: Boston Breakers, Washington Spirit, Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash and most recently Gotham FC. She has also gone out on loan overseas twice: first to Japanese club Iga FC Kunoichi in 2014 and then to famed German side Bayern Munich in 2015-16.
Ashley Sanchez, midfielder, Washington Spirit (NWSL)
After three years at UCLA, Sanchez was drafted by the Washington Spirit in 2020. After her rookie season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped lead Washington to a first-ever championship in 2021, scoring the game-winning goal in a semifinals matchup against OL Reign. This will be her first time as a part of the USWNT’s World Cup squad.
Andi Sullivan, midfielder, Washington Spirit (NWSL)
Sullivan joins Sanchez as one of four Spirit players on the USA’s roster at this year’s World Cup. The 27-year-old first joined Washington in 2012 as part of the reserves squad. After four years with Stanford, she was drafted by the senior squad in 2018, and she has been on the roster ever since.
Alex Morgan, forward, San Diego Wave FC (NWSL)
Morgan’s long and extremely successful career has seen her suit up for NWSL clubs Portland Thorns FC, Orlando Pride and most recently San Diego Wave FC, which she joined in late 2021. Before the NWSL was founded in 2013, she also played for the Western New York Flash of WPS (Women’s Professional Soccer) and Seattle Sounders Women.
She spent two seasons abroad, the first in 2017 with Olympique Lyonnais in France and the second in 2020-21 with Tottenham Hotspur in England.
Megan Rapinoe, forward, OL Reign (NWSL)
One of the most iconic players in women’s soccer history, Rapinoe began her career in 2009 with the Chicago Red Stars. She then spent several years bouncing around among various clubs from 2011 to 2013, including Australia’s Sydney FC and Seattle Sounders Women.
In 2013, she joined Olympique Lyonnais and proceeded to help the club win the next two Division 1 Feminine titles. She returned to America with OL Reign for the inaugural NWSL season, and she has remained with the club ever since. At 38 years old, this is her final World Cup.
Trinity Rodman, forward, Washington Spirit (NWSL)
Rodman, daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, is the second-youngest player in this year’s squad at just 21 years old. She is in the midst of her third professional season, all of which have come with the Spirit. She has notched 13 goals in 47 appearances so far for Washington.
Sophia Smith, forward, Portland Thorns (NWSL)
Smith turned pro in 2020 after two seasons at Stanford. She was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick by Portland that year, and she has spent the first four years of her career with the team, scoring an impressive 32 goals.
Alyssa Thompson, forward, Angel City FC (NWSL)
Thompson is the youngest player on the roster at just 18 years of age. She committed to play her college soccer at Stanford, but later announced she would forgo her college career to enter the 2023 NWSL Draft. She was selected first overall by Angel City FC, and she has three goals to her name in 13 appearances for the club so far.
Lynn Williams, forward, Gotham FC (NWSL)
The 23rd and final member of the 2023 roster, Williams has been a member of four NWSL clubs since entering the league in 2015: the Western New York Flash, North Carolina Courage, Kansas City Current and Gotham FC. She signed for Gotham earlier this year after failing to make a single appearance for Kansas City due to a significant right leg injury suffered during a preseason game.
Williams has turned out for two Australian teams in her career: Western Sydney Wanderers in 2019-20 and Melbourne Victory in 2021-22.
How many USWNT players play in NWSL?
In total, 22 of the 23 players named to this year’s squad play their club soccer in the NWSL.
That is actually a decrease of one from the previous FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019. That year, all 23 American players were under contract with NWSL clubs. In 2015, 22 of the 23 selected players came from the NWSL, with one (Abby Wambach) unattached when the roster was announced.
How many USWNT players play in Europe?
The only USWNT player currently attached to a European club is Horan. Earlier this year, the 29-year-old agreed to a permanent contract with French side Olympique Lyonnais, ending her time with NWSL club Portland Thorns FC.
However, 11 of the players in the squad for the 2023 World Cup have spent time in Europe at some point in their career.