PORTLAND, Ore. (December 17, 2025) – The Portland Thorns announced today that forward Sophia Wilson has exercised her 2026 player option and will represent Portland next season.
“We are thrilled to have a world-class player like Sophia continue to call Portland her home,” said President and General Manager of Soccer Operations Jeff Agoos. “Sophia is an exceptional global star that can change the game in an instant. She will strengthen our roster’s attack and her return makes our front line one the most formidable in the NWSL.”
Added Wilson: “Coming back to Portland is so special to me because Portland is where I started my professional career and where I've grown up in a lot of ways. I'm excited for the city. I love living here. I love the people here. I'm excited to get back with everyone and play in Providence Park and to play in front of the Riveters. There's no place like it. That is the place to play and I'm excited to be back in it!”
Since her arrival to the Thorns as the #1 pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft, Wilson has played a pivotal role for the Thorns’ on-field success, racking up several team and individual accolades to position herself amongst the elite of global footballers. After being out this past season on maternity leave, the 25-year-old will return in 2026 ready to help the Thorns compete for a championship. Wilson’s return will reinforce a strong Thorns foundation that in 2025 finished third in the league and advanced to the semifinals.
As a Thorn, Wilson has lifted the 2022 NWSL Championship, 2021 NWSL Shield, 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s International Champions Cup and 2020 NWSL Community Shield. Her individual honors include being the first player to win both NWSL MVP and NWSL Championship MVP in in a single season (2022) as well as being the youngest to win both at 22 years old. Between 2022-24, she earned three consecutive NWSL MVP nominations and NWSL Best XI First Team honors as well as becoming the first Thorn to win the NWSL Golden Boot (11 goals in 2023). She was a finalist for the 2024 Ballon D’Or Féminin and the only American to be nominated for the award in 2023. In 82 starts within 97 matches across all NWSL and international club competitions, Wilson has scored 50 and assisted 15.
Wilson’s contributions carry over to the U.S. Women’s National Team, where she won Gold at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and scored twice at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. With the USWNT, Wilson has also won the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship and three SheBelieves Cups (2021-22, 2024). Individual USWNT accolades for Wilson include being the 2022 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year — the first Black woman to earn the honor and the fifth player to win both U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year (2017) and Female Player of the Year— and 2024 SheBelieves Cup MVP. Since her 2020USWNT debut, she has accumulated 24 goals and 11 assists in 58 games and 40 starts for her country.
About the Portland Thorns
Founded in 2012, the Portland Thorns are a global leader in women’s soccer, defined by unmatched fan support, championship success, and a longstanding commitment to excellence since their inaugural 2013 season. The Thorns have created one of the premier environments in women’s sports at Providence Park, leading the NWSL in average attendance for a league-record ninth time in 2025 and hosting four of the five largest-attended matches during the 2025 season. Portland is the winningest club in NWSL history, capturing a league-record three NWSL Championships (2013, 2017, 2022), two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021), and the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, while qualifying for the postseason a league-high 11 times. Looking ahead, the club’s investment in the world’s first dual-sport women’s performance center, set to open in 2026, will foster an environment that champions innovation, elevates athlete development, and enhances elite performance.
PORTLAND, Ore. (December 17, 2025) – The Portland Thorns announced today that forward Sophia Wilson has exercised her 2026 player option and will represent Portland next season.
“We are thrilled to have a world-class player like Sophia continue to call Portland her home,” said President and General Manager of Soccer Operations Jeff Agoos. “Sophia is an exceptional global star that can change the game in an instant. She will strengthen our roster’s attack and her return makes our front line one the most formidable in the NWSL.”
Added Wilson: “Coming back to Portland is so special to me because Portland is where I started my professional career and where I've grown up in a lot of ways. I'm excited for the city. I love living here. I love the people here. I'm excited to get back with everyone and play in Providence Park and to play in front of the Riveters. There's no place like it. That is the place to play and I'm excited to be back in it!”
Since her arrival to the Thorns as the #1 pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft, Wilson has played a pivotal role for the Thorns’ on-field success, racking up several team and individual accolades to position herself amongst the elite of global footballers. After being out this past season on maternity leave, the 25-year-old will return in 2026 ready to help the Thorns compete for a championship. Wilson’s return will reinforce a strong Thorns foundation that in 2025 finished third in the league and advanced to the semifinals.
As a Thorn, Wilson has lifted the 2022 NWSL Championship, 2021 NWSL Shield, 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s International Champions Cup and 2020 NWSL Community Shield. Her individual honors include being the first player to win both NWSL MVP and NWSL Championship MVP in in a single season (2022) as well as being the youngest to win both at 22 years old. Between 2022-24, she earned three consecutive NWSL MVP nominations and NWSL Best XI First Team honors as well as becoming the first Thorn to win the NWSL Golden Boot (11 goals in 2023). She was a finalist for the 2024 Ballon D’Or Féminin and the only American to be nominated for the award in 2023. In 82 starts within 97 matches across all NWSL and international club competitions, Wilson has scored 50 and assisted 15.
Wilson’s contributions carry over to the U.S. Women’s National Team, where she won Gold at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and scored twice at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. With the USWNT, Wilson has also won the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship and three SheBelieves Cups (2021-22, 2024). Individual USWNT accolades for Wilson include being the 2022 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year — the first Black woman to earn the honor and the fifth player to win both U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year (2017) and Female Player of the Year— and 2024 SheBelieves Cup MVP. Since her 2020USWNT debut, she has accumulated 24 goals and 11 assists in 58 games and 40 starts for her country.
About the Portland Thorns
Founded in 2012, the Portland Thorns are a global leader in women’s soccer, defined by unmatched fan support, championship success, and a longstanding commitment to excellence since their inaugural 2013 season. The Thorns have created one of the premier environments in women’s sports at Providence Park, leading the NWSL in average attendance for a league-record ninth time in 2025 and hosting four of the five largest-attended matches during the 2025 season. Portland is the winningest club in NWSL history, capturing a league-record three NWSL Championships (2013, 2017, 2022), two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021), and the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, while qualifying for the postseason a league-high 11 times. Looking ahead, the club’s investment in the world’s first dual-sport women’s performance center, set to open in 2026, will foster an environment that champions innovation, elevates athlete development, and enhances elite performance.
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