Jessie Fleming facts for kids
![]() Fleming with the Portland Thorns in 2024
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jessie Alexandra Fleming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | March 11, 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | London, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team
|
Portland Thorns | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nor'West Optimist SC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2016–2019 | UCLA Bruins | 75 | (25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2020–2024 | Chelsea | 65 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2024– | Portland Thorns | 37 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013–2014 | Canada U-17 | 9 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | Canada U-20 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | Canada U-23 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2013– | Canada | 147 | (20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 21, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of July 2, 2025 |
Jessie Alexandra Fleming (born March 11, 1998) is a Canadian professional soccer player. She plays as a midfielder for the National Women's Soccer League club Portland Thorns. Jessie is also the captain of the Canadian national team.
Before becoming a professional, Fleming played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins from 2016 to 2019. After that, she spent four years playing for the English club Chelsea. She was a key player for Canada when they won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. In the final, she scored a crucial penalty kick goal. She also scored the first goal in the penalty shoot-out that helped Canada win.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Jessie Fleming was born in London, Ontario, Canada. Her parents, Michaele and John Fleming, are from Toronto. She has an older brother, Tristan, and a younger sister, Elysse. Growing up, Jessie was very active in sports. She played soccer, hockey (even in a boys' league), track and field, and cross-country. She started playing soccer at just three years old for the Nor'West Optimist Soccer Club in London. She stayed with this club until 2016.
School Achievements
Jessie went to Ryerson Public School for elementary school. She was amazing at cross-country, winning every race throughout her elementary school years. For high school, she first attended London Central Secondary School. There, she continued to compete in track and field and cross-country events. In 2012, she won the 4000m race at the OFSAA Cross Country Championships. The next year, she won both the 1500m and 3000m races at the OFSAA Track and Field Championships. She still holds the record for the 1500m in her age group. In 2014, she won gold in the 3000m and silver in the 1500m at the same championships. She later moved to H. B. Beal Secondary School and graduated in 2016.
College Soccer Career
In December 2014, Jessie decided to play for UCLA. She joined the Bruins in August 2016. Her first game was on August 28, where she scored two goals. This was less than ten days after she helped Canada win a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. She scored 7 goals in her first 6 college games. She ended her first season with 11 goals and 5 assists, leading her team in scoring. She was recognized as one of the best new players in college soccer.
As a second-year student, Fleming scored 6 goals and made 8 assists. She was named an All-American player. She helped UCLA reach the College Cup final. She even scored a goal in the championship game.
Even though she missed many games in her third year due to playing for the national team, she still did very well. She scored 5 goals and made 5 assists. In her final year, she played as a defensive midfielder. She scored 3 goals and had 4 assists. She was a finalist for several top college soccer awards.
Jessie graduated from UCLA in 2021. She studied materials engineering and also had a minor in environmental science.
Professional Club Career
Playing for Chelsea
On July 22, 2020, Jessie Fleming signed a three-year contract with FA WSL champions Chelsea. She made her first appearance for Chelsea on August 29, 2020. This was in the FA Community Shield against Manchester City at Wembley. On December 9, she played her first UEFA Champions League game. She helped Chelsea win 5–0 against Benfica. A week later, she started her first game against the same team, winning 3–0.
On January 27, 2021, she started her first league game. Chelsea won 4–0 against Aston Villa. On March 14, she played the whole game as Chelsea won the FA League Cup Final. In her first season, she played 26 games and helped Chelsea win the 2020–21 FA WSL title. She was on the bench for the 2021 Champions League Final, where Chelsea lost to Barcelona. Jessie later said that moving to professional soccer was a big challenge. She had to work hard to earn playing time.
For the 2021–22 FA WSL season, Jessie scored her first goal for Chelsea on September 26, 2021. This was in a big 6–1 win against Manchester United. A few days later, she got her first assist for the club. She set up a goal in the FA Cup quarter-final. She also scored her first Champions League goal in a 7–0 win against Servette. In this season, Jessie played much more often. She played in 21 out of 22 league games, starting 11 of them. She scored six goals and made four assists. She helped Chelsea win the league title for the second time. She also played in her second FA Cup Final with the team.
Moving to Portland Thorns
After the 2022–23 Women's Super League season began, Jessie signed a new contract with Chelsea until 2025. Chelsea won their third straight FA Cup on May 27, 2023. Four days later, they won their fourth straight Women's Super League title. Jessie played 20 games that season, starting a career-high 14 times. However, her playing time started to decrease later in the season and into the next season.
On January 23, 2024, it was reported that Jessie Fleming would move to the American NWSL team Portland Thorns. The transfer fee was £250,000, which made it the most expensive player transfer ever for an NWSL club.
International Career
Youth National Teams
Jessie Fleming started playing for Canada's youth national teams in 2012 when she was 14. In 2013, she was the captain of the Canada U-17 team. She led them to a silver medal at the 2013 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in Jamaica. She scored three goals in that tournament and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). She was also chosen for the tournament's Best XI team.
In 2014, she played in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica. She helped Canada get out of a tough group. She played in all four of Canada's games and scored one goal. She also played in the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Canada. At 16, she was one of the youngest players on the team. In December 2014, she was named the Canadian U-17 Player of the Year.
Jessie also played for Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games. She played every minute of the tournament. She scored a penalty goal in the bronze medal match against Mexico. In December 2015, she was named the Canadian U-20 Player of the Year.
Senior National Team Debut
In December 2013, Jessie Fleming was called up to the senior national team. She was only 15 years old. On December 15, she made her first senior international appearance. She was the second-youngest player ever to play for the national team at that time. A week later, she started her first game for Canada.
In 2014, Fleming played six more games for the senior team. In early 2015, she moved to Vancouver to train full-time with the national team. On March 4, 2015, she scored her first goal for the senior team. This was in a 2–0 win against Scotland.
On April 27, 2015, Jessie was named to the team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. This World Cup was held in Canada. At 17, she was the youngest player on the Canadian team. She started Canada's final group game against the Netherlands. Canada won their group. Canada then won their first World Cup knockout game since 2003, but lost to England in the quarter-finals.
At the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers, Jessie scored her second international goal. She was named to Canada's 2016 Summer Olympics team. Canada won a bronze medal at these Olympics. She helped set up the winning goal in the bronze medal match.
Jessie played her 50th senior game on March 7, 2018. She scored her fifth international goal in a 3–0 win. By this time, she was seen as one of the most promising young players on the team. On May 25, 2019, Fleming was named to the team for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played every minute of the tournament for Canada. On June 15, she scored her first World Cup goal. Canada was knocked out in the Round of 16. Jessie later said this was "really disappointing."
Olympic Gold Medal
Jessie Fleming was part of the Canadian team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. This was her second Olympic tournament. The Tokyo Olympics were a huge moment for Jessie. After a quarter-final win, the team captain, Christine Sinclair, suggested that Jessie should take over as the team's main penalty-taker.
In the semi-final match against the United States on August 2, 2021, Jessie scored the only goal from a penalty kick. This 1–0 win sent Canada to its first ever Olympic final. Many people saw this moment as a "passing of the torch" from Sinclair to Fleming. Jessie scored another penalty kick in the gold medal match against Sweden, tying the game 1–1. She then scored the first goal in the penalty shoot-out, which led to Canada winning the gold medal!
Recent Achievements
In 2021, Jessie Fleming was named Player of the Month three times by the Canadian Soccer Association. She was also voted Canadian Player of the Year. At the 2022 Arnold Clark Cup, Jessie captained the first match against England. On June 26, she played her 100th game for Canada. Later that year, she scored three goals at the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship. She was named Canada Soccer's Player of the Year for the second time in a row.
2023 World Cup
Before the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, there were some issues between the women's national team and the Canadian Soccer Association. Jessie Fleming was expected to be a very important player for Canada in the tournament. Some experts even said, "How Fleming goes, I think Canada goes." However, due to an injury, Jessie could not play in the first match against Nigeria. This game ended in a 0–0 draw, and her absence was noticed.
She returned to play the full game in Canada's 2–1 win over Ireland. She wore the captain's armband for the first half. Canada needed only a draw in their final group match against Australia to move forward. But they lost 4–0, which was a very tough defeat. Jessie said it was "a bad night to have a bad night."
After the World Cup, the team got ready for the Olympic qualification playoff in September. They played against Jamaica to earn a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Canada won both games. Jessie started both games and wore the captain's armband. At the end of the year, she was named Canada Soccer's Player of the Year for the third time in a row.
Becoming Captain
Before the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup, Jessie Fleming was officially named the captain of the Canada national team. She took over from Christine Sinclair. Canada reached the semi-finals of the tournament. They lost to the United States in a penalty shootout. Jessie was named to the tournament’s Best XI team. She was also called up to the Canada team for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Career Statistics
Club Performance
Here are Jessie Fleming's statistics for her club teams.
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Chelsea | 2020–21 | WSL | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
2021–22 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 8 | ||
2022–23 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | ||
2023–24 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||
Total | 65 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 111 | 12 | ||
Portland Thorns | 2024 | NWSL | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
2025 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
Total | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 1 | ||
Career total | 102 | 11 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 153 | 13 |
International Performance
Here are Jessie Fleming's appearances and goals for the Canadian national team each year.
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Canada | 2013 | 2 | 0 |
2014 | 6 | 0 | |
2015 | 13 | 1 | |
2016 | 15 | 2 | |
2017 | 11 | 1 | |
2018 | 10 | 3 | |
2019 | 13 | 2 | |
2020 | 7 | 1 | |
2021 | 17 | 4 | |
2022 | 17 | 5 | |
2023 | 12 | 0 | |
2024 | 16 | 1 | |
2025 | 8 | 0 | |
Total | 147 | 20 |
Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fleming goal.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | March 4, 2015 | GSP Stadium, Strovolos, Cyprus | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2015 Cyprus Cup | |
2 | February 14, 2016 | BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States | ![]() |
6–0 | 6–0 | 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship | |
3 | July 20, 2016 | Stade Sébastien Charléty, Paris, France | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | |
4 | June 8, 2017 | Investors Group Field, Winnipeg, Canada | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
5 | March 5, 2018 | Estádio Municipal de Albufeira, Albufeira, Portugal | ![]() |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2018 Algarve Cup | |
6 | June 10, 2018 | Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, Canada | ![]() |
2–1 | 2–3 | Friendly | |
7 | October 14, 2018 | Toyota Stadium, Dallas, United States | ![]() |
3–0 | 7–0 | 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship | |
8 | March 25, 2019 | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
9 | June 15, 2019 | Stade des Alpes, Grenoble, France | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup | |
10 | January 29, 2020 | H-E-B Park, Edinburg, United States | ![]() |
8–0 | 11–0 | 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship | |
11 | April 9, 2021 | Leckwith Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | ![]() |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
12 | August 2, 2021 | Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima, Japan | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2020 Summer Olympics | |
13 | August 6, 2021 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan | ![]() |
1–1 | 1–1(aet), (3–2 p) |
2020 Summer Olympics | |
14 | October 23, 2021 | TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, Canada | ![]() |
1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly | |
15 | April 8, 2022 | BC Place, Vancouver, Canada | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
16 | July 5, 2022 | Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico | ![]() |
4–0 | 6–0 | 2022 CONCACAF W Championship | |
17 | July 11, 2022 | Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 CONCACAF W Championship | |
18 | July 14, 2022 | Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2022 CONCACAF W Championship | |
19 | October 10, 2022 | Estadio Municipal de Chapín, Jerez, Spain | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly | |
20 | July 28, 2024 | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France | ![]() |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2024 Summer Olympics |
Awards and Honours
Jessie Fleming has won many awards and honours throughout her career:
Chelsea
- Women's Super League: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
- Women's FA Cup: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
- FA Women's League Cup: 2020–21
- Women's FA Community Shield: 2020
Canada National Team
- Summer Olympic Games:
- Gold Medal: 2020 Tokyo
- Bronze Medal: 2016 Rio de Janeiro
- CONCACAF W Championship runner-up: 2018, 2022
- Algarve Cup: 2016
- Four Nations Tournament: 2015
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF Best XI: 2017
- CONCACAF W Championship Best XI: 2018, 2022
- CONCACAF W Gold Cup Best XI: 2024
- CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship Golden Ball (MVP): 2013
- CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship Best XI: 2013
- Canadian Player of the Year: 2021, 2022, 2023
- Canadian U-20 Player of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2017
- Canadian U-17 Player of the Year: 2014
- FA Women's Super League Player of the Month: November 2021
- First-team All-American (College Soccer): 2017, 2019
- Third-team All-American (College Soccer): 2016
See also
In Spanish: Jessie Fleming para niños