17-year-old 2026 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year joins Angel City following record-setting performance with the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 5, 2026) – Angel City Football Club (ACFC) announced today that it has signed 17-year-old U.S. U-17 Youth National Team star forward Maddie DiMaria through 2030. DiMaria signed with the club prior to her historic performance at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, scoring 12 goals, the most by a U.S. player at any level in a single FIFA Women’s World Cup. The two-time Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year (2024 and 2026) and 2026 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year surpassed the previous U.S. mark of 10 goals, set at the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991.
“I am so excited to be joining Angel City Football Club,” said DiMaria. “It is a club that I am so happy and proud to be a part of. I was able to train with the team over the summer, and it was such a welcoming environment. Seeing all that Angel City has to offer and everyone associated with the club made me excited to learn, compete, and help the team however I can. I can’t wait to get started.”
DiMaria joins Angel City in the midst of a 10-game unbeaten streak heading into the club’s first playoff appearance since 2023. She will be available for selection for ACFC’s quarterfinal matchup against Kansas City Current on Saturday at CPKC Stadium (9:00 a.m. PT kickoff on CBS and Paramount+).
“Maddie is one of the world’s top young talents, and we are thrilled she has chosen to call Angel City home,” said ACFC Sporting Director Mark Parsons. “We are proud to be building a high-performance environment with player development at the center, which continues to attract elite talent. Maddie spent time with us this summer and immediately made an impact in training, and we are excited to officially welcome her as a member of this team for years to come.”
Her six goals in the United States’ opening 17–0 victory over Samoa also set a record for a female player in a single FIFA World Cup match at any level. She followed with four goals against Kenya, one against China, and the game-winning goal against Spain in the round of 16. Her left-footed finish in first-half stoppage time helped secure a 2–1 victory and a place in the quarterfinals.
After scoring once at the 2025 tournament, DiMaria finished her U-17 Women’s World Cup career with a U.S. record 13 goals. Among American women, only one woman has scored more career goals at a single World Cup age level, recording 14 across four senior tournaments.
DiMaria tallied 24 goals in 23 appearances for the U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team, tying the program’s all-time career scoring record set in 2018. Her 23 goals in 2026 established a new U.S. U-17 single-year record. Earlier this year, she contributed three goals and five assists during Concacaf qualifying, helping the United States secure its World Cup berth. She has also represented the United States at the U-15 and U-16 levels.
At Cor Jesu Academy in the St. Louis area, DiMaria recorded 67 goals and 25 assists during her junior season in 2025–26, leading the Chargers to a perfect 25–0 record and their third consecutive state championship. She capped the season with a hat trick in a 5–0 victory over St. Teresa’s Academy in the Missouri Class 4 championship match.
Across three high school seasons, DiMaria totaled 142 goals and 65 assists. She earned national Gatorade soccer honors as a freshman in 2023–24 and again as a junior in 2025–26, becoming just the second player to receive the award twice. Her subsequent selection as Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year recognized her as the nation’s top female high school athlete across sports. A three-time Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year and two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American, the Fenton, Missouri, native played club soccer for St. Louis Scott Gallagher, where she was a two-time ECNL All-American and two-time Midwest Conference Player of the Year.