ATLANTA (Sept. 30, 2025) – U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team head coach Katie Schoepfer has named the 21 players who will represent the United States at the 2025 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup held in Morocco from Oct. 17-Nov. 8.
The USA will open the tournament against Ecuador (3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. local time) on Saturday, Oct. 18. Then the Americans will face China PR on Tuesday, Oct. 21 (Noon ET / 5 p.m. local) and finish Group C play against Norway on Friday, Oct. 24 (9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. local). All three of the USA’s Group C games will be played at the Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 3) in Sale, which is just outside of the capital of Rabat.
2025 U.S. Under-17 Women’s World Cup Team Roster by Position (Club; Hometown; U-17 Caps/Goals):
Goalkeepers (3): Ella McNeal (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Manchester, Mo.; 0), Evan O'Steen (Florida State; Grapevine, Texas; 10), Peyton Trayer (Slammers FC HB Koge; Aliso Viejo, Calif.; 6)
Defenders (6): Meila Brewer (UCLA; Overland Park, Kan.; 5/0), Pearl Cecil (Virginia; Encinitas, Calif.; 10/1), Natalie Chudowsky (New York SC; Westport, Conn.; 5/1), Cali O'Neill (North Carolina Courage Academy; Durham, N.C.; 4/0), Olivia Robinson (STA; Scotch Plains, N.J.; 0/0), Sydney Schmidt (Sporting JAX; St. Johns, Fla.; 9/1)
Midfielders (6): Scottie Antonucci (Legends FC; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; 8/1), Riley Kennedy (UNC; Holly Springs, N.C.; 4/1), Jaiden Rodriguez (USC; San Diego, Calif.; 15/3), Chloe Sadler (La Roca FC; Hyde Park, Utah; 10/1), Anastasia Showler-Little (Players Development Academy; Boonton, N.J.; 3/0), Nyanya Touray (Florida State; Silver Spring, Md.; 8/4)
Forwards (6): Maddie DiMaria (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Fenton, Mo.; 0/0), Micayla Johnson (Chicago Stars; Troy, Mich.; 13/7), Elayna Kocher (Penn Fusion SA; Allentown, Pa.; 5/0), Lauren Malsom (UNC; Marietta, Ga.; 5/1), KK Ream (Utah Royals FC; Herriman, Utah; 2/0), Mak Whitham (Gotham FC; Granite Bay, Calif.; 2/1)
“For these players to be a part of the first 24-team U-17 World Cup is a big honor and to have so many talented players getting to showcase themselves on a world stage is a great step forward for the game,” said Schoepfer. “Our team is a united one that cares deeply about each other and representing their country. They are ready to play their best in this tournament, which is a vitally important part of their growth as players through our National Team programs. We sincerely appreciate the collaboration with the clubs and colleges to enable these players to have this experience.”
For the second time, the U.S. roster will feature professional players, three in fact. Chicago Stars forward Micayla Johnson, Gotham FC forward Mak Whitham and Utah Royals forward KK Ream. Ream’s goal against the Portland Thorns on Aug. 29 made her the youngest goal scorer in NWSL history, tallying just 52 days after her 16th birthday. The 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was the first time professional players were featured.
Whitham made her NWSL regular-season debut on March 15, 2025, as a stoppage-time substitute in the season opener against the Seattle Reign. That appearance made her the youngest player in league history at 14 years, 8 months.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2008, are age-eligible for this World Cup. Schoepfer chose 16 players born in 2008, four born in 2009 and one, Whitham, born in 2010. Fourteen players will be 17 years old at the start of the World Cup and six will be 16. Whitham, who will be 15, as well as the four players born in 2009, are age-eligible for next year’s 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Schoepfer named 13 players who were part of the U.S. team that finished atop the group at the Final Round of the 2025 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Qualifiers to earn a berth to this World Cup. Midfielders Jaiden Rodriguez and Scottie Antonucci, Johnson and O’Steen are the only players on the roster who also played in the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup when the USA took third, its best finish since the inaugural tournament in 2008. O’Steen won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper in that tournament despite being just 16 years old.
The 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup marks the first time this tournament will feature 24 nations, up from the previous 16. The 24 countries are divided into six groups of four teams each. After round-robin play within the groups, the top two teams in each group plus the four best third-place finishers will advance to the Round of 16, at which time the competition becomes a knockout tournament. This year’s tournament marks the first of what will now be an annual competition with the next first editions being held in Morocco.
The FIFA youth World Cups are an important part of the continued focus on the U.S. Way, which emphasizes increased programming for Youth National Teams to create more opportunities for young players to advance through the pathway to the senior National Team with the goal of representing their country at a world championship.
Roster Notes:
- Of the USA’s three professional players, KK Ream has played the most minutes in the NWSL this season. She's recorded 174 minutes in nine matches, along with her one goal. Johnson has played in the most matches, 14, while seeing 146 minutes of action. Whitham has played 55 minutes over six appearances.
- In a clear sign of female players attending college at younger ages, the roster features seven players currently enrolled in college, when combined with the three professionals, means that 10 players come from youth clubs with defender Sydney Schmidt on an amateur contract with USL Super League side Sporting JAX. There were four collegiate players and four professionals on the USA’s 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup roster last year.
- At the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Johnson played in all six games and scored against Colombia, goalkeeper Evan O’Steen started five games in goal and midfielder Jaiden Rodriguez came off the bench in five matches. Scottie Antonucci played in three games off the bench.
- Defender Meila Brewer is a freshman at UCLA this season at age 16 after reclassifying two years ahead of schedule to attend college.
- With seven career goals at the U-17 level, Johnson is the leading scorer on this roster. Only Rodriguez, a fellow holdover from the 2024 FIFA U-17 WWC Team, has more caps — 15 to Johnson’s 13.
- The 13 players who were a part of the USA’s Concacaf qualifying squad are: goalkeepers Peyton Trayer and O'Steen, defenders Schmidt, Pearl Cecil, Natalie Chudowksy and Cali O’Neil, midfielders Scottie Antonucci, Riley Kennedy, Rodriguez and Chloe Sadler, and forwards Nyanya Touray, Johnson and Elayna Kocher.
- Eighteen of the 21 players have been capped at the U-17 level, with just back-up goalkeeper Ella McNeil, defender Olivia Robinson and forward Maddie DiMaria yet to earn a U-17 cap.
- Five players are in double-figures in U-17 caps: Rodriguez (15), Johnson (13), Sadler (10), O’Steen (10) and Cecil (10).
- Four players on the roster hail from California, the most of any state.
- As a player, Schoepfer was in the U.S. Youth National Team player pools from the U-17 to U-23 and started all four years for Penn State University, twice earning All-American honors while scoring 48 career goals. In her professional career, the forward made 100 appearances with the Boston Breakers in two leagues — Women’s Professional Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League. She played the NWSL’s first four seasons, and her 100 games for the Breakers are the third-most in club history. The Connecticut native was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2019.
- Eight players from the USA’s 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Team are currently playing professionally in the NWSL.
- The USA will begin the trip with a training camp in Spain before arriving in Morocco several days before the first match. Three training players will join the USA for the pre-tournament camp in defender Claire Kessenger (CE Europa Femenino; Barcelona, Spain), midfielder Mia Corona (Legends FC; Cypress, Calif.) and forward Addy Feldman (Utah Celtic FC; Salt Lake City, Utah)
