Gisele Thompson

Gisele Thompson
Thompson with Angel City in 2024
Personal information
Full name Gisele Olivia Thompson[1]
Date of birth (2005-12-02) December 2, 2005 (age 18)
Place of birth Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Position(s) Right back
Team information
Current team
 Angel City FC
Number 20
Youth career
Total Futbol Academy
Real So Cal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2023 Santa Clarita Blue Heat
2024– Angel City FC 15 (0)
International career‡
2019 United States U15 1 (0)
2020 United States U16 3 (0)
2022 United States U17 14 (1)
2023 United States U19 5 (0)
2023– United States U20 14 (2)
Medal record
Women's soccer
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Santiago Team
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Bronze medal – third place Colombia 2024
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 1, 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 11, 2024

Gisele Olivia Thompson (born December 2, 2005) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She has represented the United States on the under-17 and under-20 national teams.

Thompson was one of the first high school athletes to have a name, image, and likeness deal with Nike, as was her older sister, Alyssa Thompson. Although she committed to play for Stanford after high school, Thompson instead elected to sign with Angel City FC four days before turning 18 in 2023.[2]

Early life

[edit]

In 2013, Thompson's parents registered her and her sister Alyssa in the Total Futbol Academy (TFA) when Thompson was 8 years old so that they could compete on boys' teams.[3] In 2015, they were transferred to club Real So Cal of the 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 NWSL team Angel City FC,[5] who had drafted Alyssa as the number one pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.[6]

Club career

[edit]

Angel City FC, 2024–

[edit]

On December 7, 2023, Angel City FC announced that they had signed Thompson to a three-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] Thompson made her professional debut for Angel City in her hometown of Los Angeles on March 17, 2024, coming on as a substitute for her older sister in a NWSL match against Bay FC.

After missing a few games due to a minor ankle injury, Thompson started her first match for Angel City on May 18, 2024, in an away match against Washington Spirit which ended as a 4–2 defeat. As she was named to the starting XI alongside her sister, it marked the first time in NWSL history that two sisters were named to the starting lineup for the same team.[8] Thompson recored her first NWSL assist on October 20, 2024, during the final home match of the 2024 season against Utah Royals, setting up Sydney Leroux's equalizer to secure a 1–1 draw. The goal was also the 100th goal in Angel City's history.[9]

International career

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Thompson represented the United States on the U-17 women's national team at the 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup[4] and the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship.[3] She also played on the under-20 national team at the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, where they won gold.[10] In the semifinals, she received a red card after she fouled to prevent a clear chance at goal.[11]

In February 2024, Thompson received her first call up to the senior team as a non-rostered player to train with the team ahead of the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup.[12] Thompson went straight from training with the senior team in Los Angeles to train with the under-20 team for a set of friendlies against Colombia in Bogota.[13] She was selected to the roster for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[14] In the group stage, she provided an assist to Yuna McCormack for the opening goal in a 2–0 win over Morocco.[15] In the next game, she scored the third goal in the team's 7–0 victory over Paraguay to secure the second place in their group and their spot in the knockout rounds.[16] She assisted Ally Sentnor to open a 2–1 win over the Netherlands in the third place game, marking the United States's best result at the tournament since 2012.[17]

Personal life

[edit]

Thompson was born in Los Angeles on December 2, 2005, 13 months after her sister Alyssa Thompson, to Karen and Mario Thompson.[10][18] They are of African-American, Filipino and Peruvian descent.[19][20]

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

Endorsements

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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.[21]

Both sisters are also sponsored by Stifel.[22]

Television and film

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Gisele appeared alongside her sister Alyssa as cameos in the Netflix film Family Switch.

Career statistics

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Club

[edit]
As of November 1, 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Playoffs[b] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Angel City FC 2024 NWSL 15 0 1 0 — — 16 0
Career total 15 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 16 0
  1. ^ Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup.
  2. ^ Includes NWSL Playoffs.

Honors

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United States U17

United States U19

United States U20

References

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  1. ^ "FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2022 – Squad List: USA" (PDF). FIFA. October 11, 2022. p. 16. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b c 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. ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  9. ^ "VIDEO: USWNT veteran Sydney Leroux scores brilliant volley for Angel City in draw with Utah Royals | INDIVISA". www.goal.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  10. ^ a b 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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "Kilgore Names 23-Player Roster 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup | U.S. Soccer Official Website". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  13. ^ "U.S. Under-20 Women's Youth National Team Will Travel to Colombia for Two Matches Against 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup Hosts". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  14. ^ "U.S. U-20 WYNT Head Coach Tracey Kevins Names 21-Player Roster for 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia". United States Soccer Federation. August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  15. ^ Clark, Travis (September 5, 2024). "USA Edges Morocco at U20 World Cup". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  16. ^ "U.S. Under-20 Women's Qualify for Round of 16 at 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup As Pietra Tordin Scores a Hat Trick in 7-0 Win Over Paraguay". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  17. ^ "USA Scores Dramatic 119th-Minute Game-Winner To Defeat The Netherlands 2-1 And Finish Third At 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ 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.
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