Angel City Football Club announced today that the club has acquired 18-year-old Colombian Women’s National Team forward Maithé López from Real Santander for four years in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee. López will join ACFC, and in an effort to maximize her development as a professional, she will subsequently be loaned to Lexington Sporting Club Women of the USL Super League.
“We are very excited to bring Maithé to Angel City and invest in our team's future,” said ACFC Sporting Director Mark Parsons. “Maithé is an incredible young talent that we believe can continue to develop with focused support and a healthy environment. We are happy to find a great fit in Lexington to join this journey with us and provide Maithé with the next steps in her development. This is a concentrated effort to ensure that we are thinking about what is best for individual players to reach their potential while setting ourselves up for long term success.”
“I am really excited for the chance to play in the NWSL and for one of the biggest teams in the world,” said López. “It is a top club with incredible support and it feels like the perfect next step for me in my career. I was fortunate to receive good offers from some important teams in the US and Europe, but Angel City was always my first choice.
“I believe the loan to Lexington is going to be an important step for my development,” continued López. “I am determined to do my best to come in and make an immediate impact. It will be great to play alongside my teammates Sintia and Yunaira from the Colombia national side. I believe the move will give me the chance to adapt to soccer in the US, work hard, develop my game and improve my English. I want to score goals with Lexington, help them to be successful and then bring that form with me to LA.”
López will occupy an international spot for ACFC during her onboarding process in LA, where she will receive support from the club acclimating to the US. During her time on loan, she will be in constant communication with ACFC to track her technical and physical development and will return to Los Angeles in the summer months to train with the club.
Lopez made her professional debut for Real Santander in Colombia’s Liga Femenina on June 8, 2024 against Deportivo Pereira, where she scored her first career goal in the 37th minute of the match. Later in the year, she helped the U-20 Colombia Women’s National Team to the Quarterfinals of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, earning one assist in 232 minutes played in five match appearances. In addition, she appeared in three matches for Colombia during the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup the following month, tallying 210 minutes on the pitch.
Originally from Bucaramanga, Colombia, Lopez has also appeared in the 2024 U-17 and U-20 South American Championships, as well as the 2024 U-20 Sud Ladies Cup. She was recently called up to the 2025 Senior Colombia Women’s National Team camp, and has been selected for their 2025 SheBelieves Cup roster.
“Having Maithé out on loan gives her an opportunity to play meaningful minutes and develop further technically before returning to our environment,” said ACFC Technical Director Mark Wilson. “This is an investment in her potential and her future, while also investing in our roster and on-field success for years to come.”
“I have a dream of becoming one of the best strikers in the world and I am so happy that Angel City believes together we can make that happen,” concluded López.
