Olivia Moultrie facts for kids
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Moultrie with the Portland Thorns in 2024
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
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| Full name | Olivia Lynn Moultrie | |||||||||
| Date of birth | September 17, 2005 | |||||||||
| Place of birth | Santa Clarita, California | |||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | |||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||
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Current team
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Portland Thorns | |||||||||
| Number | 13 | |||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||
| 2017 | Total Futbol Academy | |||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Beach FC | |||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Portland Thorns FC | |||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||
| 2021– | Portland Thorns FC | 78 | (11) | |||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | United States U15 | |||||||||
| 2019 | United States U16 | |||||||||
| 2020 | United States U17 | |||||||||
| 2022– | United States U20 | 5 | (2) | |||||||
| 2023– | United States | 9 | (2) | |||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 15, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 29, 2025 |
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Olivia Lynn Moultrie, born on September 17, 2005, is a talented American soccer player. She plays as an attacking midfielder for the Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Olivia made history as the youngest American female soccer player to become a professional. She was just 13 years old when she turned pro in 2019.
In 2021, Olivia took legal action against the NWSL. This action helped remove the league's age limit for players. She then made her debut for the Thorns that same year, at age 15. In 2023, she was also chosen to play for the United States national team.
Contents
Early Life and Soccer Beginnings
Olivia Moultrie grew up in Santa Clarita, California. Her parents, K.C. and Jessica Moultrie, were both college athletes. Olivia started playing soccer when she was only four years old.
By the time she was in fifth grade, Olivia began learning at home. This allowed her to focus more on her soccer training. She became the first girl to play on a boys' club team in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
When she was 11, Olivia received a full scholarship offer. This offer was to play soccer for the Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the youngest girl's soccer player to publicly accept a college offer at that time. After this, she traveled to Europe to train even more. Her family even thought about moving to France so she could play professionally sooner. However, these plans changed when the Portland Thorns FC signed her in 2019. She then moved from California to Wilsonville, Oregon, where she lives now.
Club Career
Joining the Portland Thorns
In February 2019, Olivia Moultrie announced she was becoming a professional player. She signed a deal with a sports agency called Wasserman Media Group. She also signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Nike. By doing this, she gave up her chance to play college soccer. She then joined the academy team of the Portland Thorns FC.
Even though she trained with the Thorns' main team, she couldn't sign a professional contract. This was because the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) had a rule. It said players had to be at least 18 years old. FIFA, the international soccer organization, also usually stops young players from playing overseas. Olivia did play in an exhibition match for the senior team on March 27, 2019. This game was against the United States under-23 team.
Changing the Age Rule
On May 4, 2021, Olivia filed a lawsuit against the NWSL. She argued that the league's age limit was unfair. She asked the court to let her play in regular season games right away. On May 24, 2021, a judge agreed with Olivia. The judge ordered the NWSL to temporarily remove its age limit. This allowed Olivia to try for a spot on the Thorns' team. The judge said the league didn't have good reasons for its age rule.
In June 2021, the league decided that another team, OL Reign, had the rights to Olivia. However, OL Reign traded her to the Thorns for a draft pick. On June 30, 2021, Olivia signed a three-year contract with the Thorns. This made her the youngest player ever to sign a contract with an NWSL team.
Professional Debut and Achievements
Olivia made her first professional appearance on July 3, 2021. She came into the game as a substitute in the 83rd minute. The Thorns won that game 2–0 against Racing Louisville. She made her first start and got her first assist on August 7 against Washington Spirit.
On August 19, 2021, Olivia scored her first professional goal. It was a free kick in the 57th minute against Houston Dash. This goal happened during the semifinal of the International Champions Cup.
On June 12, 2022, Olivia scored her first NWSL league goal. She became the youngest player to score a goal in the NWSL.
On October 29, 2022, Olivia played in the 2022 NWSL Championship game. The Thorns won the match, and Olivia earned her first NWSL Championship title.
On February 13, 2024, it was announced that Olivia signed a new contract with the Thorns. This extension will keep her with the team through the 2026 season.
International Career
Youth National Teams
On February 15, 2022, Olivia Moultrie was chosen for the U.S. under-20 squad. She played in the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship.
Senior National Team
In October 2023, Olivia was called up to the senior U.S. national team for the first time. She was 18 years old. She played her first game for the national team on December 2, 2023, against China PR.
On February 20, 2024, Olivia made her first start for the senior team. She also scored her first two goals in that game against the Dominican Republic. This was during a group stage match of the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup. She became only the third U.S. women's soccer player to score two or more goals in a game at age 18 or younger. The other two players were Mia Hamm and Cindy Parlow Cone. Olivia also earned the "Player of the Match" award for her performance.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Playoffs | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Portland Thorns FC | 2021 | NWSL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2022 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 3 | ||
| 2023 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2024 | 22 | 5 | — | — | 22 | 5 | ||||
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 78 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 93 | 12 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2023 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list United States's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Moultrie goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 20, 2024 | Carson, California |  Dominican Republic |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup | |
| 2 | 3–0 |
Honors and Awards
Team Awards
Portland Thorns FC
- International Champions Cup: 2021
- NWSL Championship: 2022
United States National Team
- CONCACAF W Gold Cup: 2024
- SheBelieves Cup: 2024
United States U20 Team
- CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship: 2022
Individual Awards
- U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Olivia Moultrie para niños
