Meghan Klingenberg Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Meghan Klingenberg

Klingenberg with the Portland Thorns in 2024

Personal information

Full name

Meghan Elizabeth Klingenberg

Date of birth

August 2, 1988 (age 36)

Place of birth

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Height

5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)

Playing position

Left back

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2011

magicJack

(0)

2011

Boston Breakers

(0)

2012

Western New York Flash

(2)

2012–2014

Tyresö FF

(2)

2014–2015

Houston Dash

(0)

2016–2024

Portland Thorns

151

(0)

National team^‡

2004

United States U-16

2005

United States U-17

2008

United States U-19

2009–2010

United States U-23

2011–2018

United States

(3)

Honours


FIFA Women's World Cup
Gold	2015 Canada	Team

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of September 3, 2024.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of September 3, 2024

Meghan Elizabeth Klingenberg (born August 2, 1988) is an American professional soccer player. She played as a defender for Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was also a member of the United States women's national soccer team. Meghan is a FIFA Women's World Cup champion. She has played for several teams in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league. She also played for Tyresö FF in Sweden and the Houston Dash in the NWSL.

Early Life and High School Soccer
- Playing for the University of North Carolina
Professional Club Career
International Career with the U.S. Team
Off-field Activities
Honors and Achievements
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and High School Soccer

Meghan Klingenberg was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She grew up in a town called Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. She has a younger brother, Drew, who also played college soccer.

Meghan went to Pine-Richland High School from 2003 to 2007. She was the captain of her high school soccer team. In 2005, she helped her team win the Pennsylvania state high school championship. She was also named an NSCAA All-America player.

Meghan says that practicing Taekwondo helped her soccer skills. She believes the martial art made her a more active player. She is now a black belt in Taekwondo.

Playing for the University of North Carolina

Meghan attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was a starting player for the Tar Heels for four years. She scored 18 goals and made 24 assists during her college career. Meghan was a very flexible player. She played in different positions for her team.

In 2007, as a freshman, she played in 24 games. She scored five goals and made three assists. She was named an All-ACC player for freshmen.

As a sophomore in 2008, she played in 20 games. She missed some games to play for the U.S. team at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She had nine assists and two goals that year.

In 2009, as a junior, she played in 26 games. She scored five goals and made one assist. She scored a winning goal in a big game against Wake Forest.

As a senior in 2010, she played in all 24 games for the Tar Heels. She had 11 assists and scored six goals. She was named First-Team All-ACC. Meghan studied business while at UNC Chapel Hill.

Professional Club Career

Klingenberg playing for Tyresö in 2013

Klingenberg playing for Portland in 2018

Early Years in WPS

In 2011, Meghan was chosen by the Washington Freedom team in the WPS draft. The team later moved and was renamed magicJack. She was then traded to the Boston Breakers. Meghan played 10 games for Boston. She scored one goal and made two assists. She also played for Western New York Flash and helped them win the 2012 Women's Premier Soccer League Elite championship.

Playing in Sweden

In 2012, Meghan signed with a Swedish club called Tyresö. While playing for Tyresö, she helped the team win the 2012 Damallsvenskan championship.

Joining the NWSL

After the WPS league stopped, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was created. This new league had support from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Houston Dash

On January 10, 2014, Meghan was chosen by the Houston Dash team. She joined the Dash after finishing her games with Tyresö FF. She played 19 games for the club before leaving in October 2015.

Portland Thorns FC

In October 2015, Meghan joined the Portland Thorns FC. She played for the Thorns from 2016 to 2024. She announced her departure from the club on December 30, 2024.

International Career with the U.S. Team

Klingenberg training with the U.S. Women's National Team in 2012

Meghan Klingenberg played for the United States women's national soccer team at different age levels. She played for the U-16, U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams.

She was first called up to the senior national team in 2011. She played her first two games during the 2011 Four Nations Tournament. She was also an alternate player for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Meghan made her official debut for the senior team on January 23, 2011, against Canada. She also played in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. The United States women's national soccer team won this tournament on July 5, 2015. Meghan started in every game for the team during this World Cup.

She played a lot during the 2016 Summer Olympics. However, she played less in 2017 and has not been called up to the team since January 2018.

Off-field Activities

Meghan Klingenberg is also active off the soccer field. In 2018, she helped negotiate for the image and likeness rights of the U.S. Women's National Team players. This was for the U.S. Women's National Team Players Association.

In 2019, Meghan, along with her teammates Tobin Heath, Christen Press, and Megan Rapinoe, started a lifestyle brand. Their brand is called Re-inc and focuses on gender-neutral products.