Gisele Thompson
Personal information
Date of birth (2005-12-02) December 2, 2005
Place of birth Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Angel City FC
Youth career
Total Futbol Academy
Real So Cal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2023 Santa Clarita Blue Heat
2023– Angel City FC
International career
United States U17
2022– United States U20
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gisele Thompson (born December 2, 2005) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League. She has also previously played for the US under-20 and under-17 national teams. Thompson is one of the first high school athletes to have a name, image, and likeness deal with Nike, as is her older sister, Alyssa Thompson. After committing to play for Stanford University once she graduated high school,[1] Thompson instead announced in December 2023 that she had signed with NWSL club Angel City FC.[2]

Club career

In 2013 the parents of Gisele and her sister registered them in the Total Futbol Academy (TFA) when Thompson was 8 years old. They did this so that they could compete on boys' teams.[3] In 2015 they were transferred to club Real So Cal, Elite Clubs National League and they competed there until the COVID-19 pandemic halted sporting events.[3] The two sisters then joined the Santa Clarita Blue Heat in the second-division United Women's Soccer league as the only high school students in the league.[4] In early 2023, Thompson began training with Angel City,[5] who had drafted her sister Alyssa as the number one pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.[6]

On December 7, 2023, Angel City FC announced that they had signed Thompson to a 3-year professional contract.[2] NWSL rules allowed ACFC to sign Thompson directly, rather than through the entry draft, because she was under the age of 18 at the time.[2] Her deal runs through the 2025 season, with an option to extend through 2026.[7]

International career

Thompson represented the United States on the U-17 women's national team at the 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup[4] and the Concacaf Women's U-17 Championship.[3] She also played on the under-20 national team at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, where they won gold.[8] In the semifinals, she received a red card after she fouled to prevent a clear chance at goal.[9]

Endorsements

In 2022, Thompson and her sister Alyssa signed a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Nike at ages 16 and 17, respectively. They were the first high school athletes to sign an NIL deal with Nike.[10]

Both sisters are also sponsored by Stifel.[11]

Personal life

Thompson was born in Los Angeles on December 2, 2005, 13 months after her sister Alyssa Thompson, to Karen and Mario Thompson.[8][12] They are of African-American, Filipino and Peruvian descent.[13][14]

Thompson runs track at Harvard-Westlake School.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Sondheimer, Eric (September 11, 2020). "Column: Thompson sisters are rising soccer stars with an eye on Stanford". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Baxter, Kevin (December 7, 2023). "Teen Gisele Thompson, sister of Alyssa Thompson, signs three-year deal with Angel City". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Alyssa and Gisele Thompson's unusual path to USWNT success via MLS NEXT". MLS Soccer. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Suitts, Phillip (October 7, 2022). "Gisele and Alyssa Thompson's USWNT dreams becoming reality". Just Women's Sports. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ Yanchulis, Kate (January 31, 2023). "Alyssa Thompson's younger sister will train with Angel City in 2023". Just Women's Sports. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ Yanchulis, Kate (January 12, 2023). "2023 NWSL Draft live tracker: Stay up-to-date on every pick". Just Women's Sports. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Angel City FC signs teen soccer phenom Gisele Thompson". ABC7 Los Angeles. December 8, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Gupta, Radha (November 7, 2022). "Alyssa-Gisele, the Next Kristie-Sam?". Girls Soccer Network. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ "U.S. U-20 Women's Youth National Team Qualifies For 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup With 2-1 Win Against Costa Rica In Concacaf U-20 Women's Championship Semifinal | U.S. Soccer Official Website". US Soccer. June 2, 2023. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ Sondheimer, Eric (May 17, 2022). "Harvard-Westlake's Thompson sisters are first prep athletes to sign with Nike for NIL". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  11. ↑ Rubbelke, Nathan (June 30, 2023). "Stifel inks sponsorship deals with teenage soccer stars". St. Louis Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ Gibson, Charlotte (March 24, 2023). "Ready or not, prodigy Alyssa Thompson cast as soccer's next superstar". ESPN. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Madre de mundialista Alyssa Thompson, recalca las raíces peruanas y sacrificios de su hija". Los Angeles Times (in Spanish). July 17, 2023. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  14. ↑ Davies, Amanda; Howorth, Alasdair (February 25, 2023). "High schooler by day, professional soccer player by night: Alyssa Thompson is doing it all". CNN. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.