Alyssa Thompson: The Teen Phenomenon Who Could Become America’s Greatest Football Player

CNN
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Described by her new team Angel City as the “player of the generation”, she is a teen sensation Alisa Thompson She made history Thursday by becoming the first high school student to be drafted in the history of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Being #1 overall is another huge step in what was already an impressive fledgling career.

Thompson already boasts two caps for the US Women’s National Team (USWNT), having made her international debut aged just 17 in a friendly against European champions England in September at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.

The 18-year-old Thompson has been a top prospect for years, with her on-field abilities evident from an early age.

In 2020, she and her younger sister, Gisele, moved on to play for Total Futbol Academy, a boys’ club in Major League Soccer’s academy system, MLS NEXT.

Back in May 2022, the Thompson sisters secured a historic multi-year deal to become the first high school athletes to sign a name, image, and likeness deal with Nike.

A native of Los Angeles, Thompson was named High School Soccer Player of the Year in 2021 after scoring 48 goals in 18 games with Harvard-Westlake School, where she remains a senior.

Thompson is also no slouch, competing in the 100-meter dash during high school and scoring a top 10 finish in California during his three-year track career.

According to Angel City, it set the sixth fastest time in the state in 2022.

Able to play in all three positions across the front line, as well as in midfield, Thompson was able to showcase her talents to Angel City last year when she joined the club in pre-season training camp.

“I was training with the full team and being in that environment, I thought: ‘Wow, I can do this,'” she told the Angel City website.

Thompson verbally agreed to play at Stanford next year, according to ESPN, but she chose to forfeit her collegiate eligibility and declared for the draft last week, a requirement for high school athletes if they want to be considered for the NWSL draft.

ESPN reported that Thompson will complete her senior year of high school at Harvard-Westlake by taking classes online once the NWSL season begins on March 25, but will attend classes at the school when her schedule allows.

According to ESPN, Thompson and her parents said studying for a degree remains a priority along with pursuing a professional soccer career, something Angel City said it would help Thompson organize next year.

“From the very beginning, it was always something that if I was going to go pro, I was going to get an education,” Thompson told ESPN. “I want to keep getting better, and since there is an opportunity to get into college, why not do it?”

Thompson’s historic first-place selection in the draft continues her rapid rise through the NFL ranks, and she will now play regularly in front of nearly 20,000 fans at Angel City Bank of California Stadium.

And with the Women’s World Cup kicking off July 20 in Australia and New Zealand, don’t be surprised if Thompson earns a spot on the USWNT Team of the Tournament.