Maddie Dahlien

Madeline Grace Dahlien (born July 25, 2004) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels, winning the 2024 national championship. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Maddie Dahlien

Dahlien with North Carolina in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Madeline Grace Dahlien[1]
Date of birth	(2004-07-25) July 25, 2004 (age 20)[2]
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Seattle Reign
Number	5
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022–2024	North Carolina Tar Heels	65	(7)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2025–	Seattle Reign	5	(1)
International career‡
2023–2024	United States U-20	15	(6)
Medal record Women's soccer FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 18, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 21, 2024

Early life and college career

Dahlien was raised in Edina, Minnesota.^[1] She played for Edina Soccer Club before high school, when she joined Minnesota Thunder Academy, the state's only team in the Elite Clubs National League, and was named All-American in 2021.^[3][4] She attended Edina High School, where she recorded 92 career goals and 43 assists and was named all-state three times. She scored 37 goals in her senior year in 2021, helping lead her team to the state semifinals.^[1][5]

Dahlien also starred in track and field in high school, coming second at the state championship in the 100, 200, and 400 meters as a freshman; sweeping the 100, 200, and 400 meters as a junior; and winning the 200 meters and long jump as a senior, narrowly coming second in the 100 and 400 meters.^[5][6] Following her senior year, she was named the Star Tribune Female Athlete of the Year.^[5] She committed to the University of North Carolina for soccer as a junior but considered additionally trying to join the track team.^[7][8]

North Carolina Tar Heels

Dahlien scored four goals with three assists despite making only five starts for the North Carolina Tar Heels as a freshman in 2022, being named to the Atlantic Coast Conference all-freshman team. She scored a brace against BYU in the third round of the NCAA championship, where the Tar Heels finished as runners-up in the final.^[3]

Dahlien established herself in the starting lineup in her junior year in 2024. Despite missing a month while at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, she provided a team-joint-high seven assists, scored two goals, and drew six out of the team's ten penalties, earning third-team All-ACC honors.^[9][10] In the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, she drew a penalty for North Carolina's opening goal and scored the third goal in a 3–0 win against Duke.^[11] North Carolina went on to defeat Wake Forest 1–0 in the final, winning the program's 23rd national title and first since 2012.^[12]

Club career

Seattle Reign

Seattle Reign FC announced on January 8, 2025, that they had signed Dahlien to her first professional contract, a three-year deal.^[13] She made her professional debut on March 15, starting in the season opener against NJ/NY Gotham FC.^[14] On April 18, she scored her first professional goal less than four minutes into the game against the Portland Thorns; the Cascadia rivalry game ended 1–0.^[15]

International career

Dahlien first trained with the United States youth national team at a combined under-18/under-19 camp in April 2023. She was one of the youngest players selected to the under-20 roster for 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, scoring a hat trick in her youth international debut against Jamaica in the group stage. She entered the starting lineup as the team finished as runners-up to Mexico, securing qualification to the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.^[3][16]

Dahlien appeared off the bench in every game at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.^[17] She scored in both of the team's group stage wins over Morocco and Paraguay.^[18] In the quarterfinals, trailing Germany 2–0, the United States came back in the last moments of regulation with a goal from Jordynn Dudley and an own goal forced by Ally Sentnor in the 90+8th and 90+9th minutes—the latter off Dahlien's deflected cross; they advanced in a penalty shootout.^[19] Following a semifinal defeat to eventual champions North Korea, Dahlien forced a 119th-minute own goal in a 2–1 extra-time win over the Netherlands, helping the United States finish the tournament in third place, its best result since 2012.^[17] She was called up by Emma Hayes into Futures Camp, practicing alongside the senior national team, in January 2025.^[20]

Honors

North Carolina Tar Heels

• NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament: 2024

Individual

• Third-team All-ACC: 2024
• ACC all-freshman team: 2022