Who are the top young players in the NWSL? Seven future queens to remeber

Ever since the NWSL established its U18 Entry Mechanism, allowing football’s youngest stars to achieve their professional dreams, the league has seen an influx of younger players giving even the most experienced footballers a hard time. Who are the best young players in the NWSL?

Kimmi Ascanio

USWNT legend Tobin Heath called Kimmi Ascanio her “Mini Tobin” because of the talent she sees in this young player. Ascanio had a breakout season for the San Diego Wave in 2025, but in 2026 she’s taken her game to a whole new level. After starting off her career as a forward, she’s taken on a deeper-lying role in the midfield where her football IQ shines through every move she makes. Ascanio has proven she can score goals, she can assist goals, and now she can even start attacks at the very beginning with the way she sees the field. The future is bright for this 18-year-old who has quickly established herself as an important piece of one of the top teams in the league.

Trinity Armstrong

Kimmi Ascanio’s teammate Trinity Armstrong has also played an important role for the club ever since she joined in 2025 at the age of 17. Armstrong plays as a center back, and was the ringleader of a defense that conceded the sixth fewest goals in the league that season. Armstrong has been plagued with injury throughout 2026, but she still remains one of the top young center backs in the world. She is extremely proficient in both the defensive duties and the passing responsibilities that come with being a central defender, and certainly has a bright future for both club and country.

Claudia Martínez

Claudia Martínez was barely 18 years old when her move to the Washington Spirit drew a transfer fee that ranked in the top 10 globally and second in NWSL history. She has squashed any worries about her game translating to the NWSL, scoring three goals over the span of only two weeks, including two game-winning goals that secured her club the full three points. Martínez’s team currently sits in the top spot of NWSL standings, and her ability to get on the scoresheet right off the bat has been a huge contributor to their table position. With a three-year contract, Martínez is the future of the Washington Spirit and will only grow from here.

Alex Pfeiffer

Alex Pfeiffer was only 16 years old when she scored the game-winning goal in her professional debut in 2024. Then, unfortunately, she spent most of that season and the next recovering from tears to her ACL and meniscus. After signing with Bay FC ahead of the 2026 NWSL season, Pfeiffer has been playing like she never stopped, already amassing two goals and three assists in only seven matches. Pfeiffer is the whole package as a forward, being able to dribble through defenders as well as turn those take-ons into chances for herself and others. 

Melanie Barcenas

Melanie Barcenas was once the youngest-ever player to sign a contract in the league when she signed with her hometown club, the San Diego Wave, in 2023 at the age of 15. She hasn’t been given the most minutes to show off her skill, but in her little playing time she’s scored three goals this season, including a game-winning goal against reigning champions Gotham FC. Barcenas is incredibly skilled on the ball, with her dribbling and technical ability fooling even the most veteran defenders. She’s added another layer to her game this season with her ability to shoot from all over the attacking area. The future is definitely bright for this teenager. 

Mak Whitham

Mak Whitham is too young to get a lot of minutes for club, but she’s been breaking records for years. She scored for Gotham FC before ever penning a professional contract at the age of 13, and later that year became — and remains — the youngest-ever player to sign with an NWSL club after going professional a day before her 14th birthday. Whitham was also the youngest person to sign a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with Nike, and has been attracting attention from a young age for her skill and game awareness. Gotham’s President of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West has emphasized that Whitham has “consistency in terms of her technical execution under pressure, tactical understanding, and some really amazing physical talents” and that she’s “ready, mentally and physically, to train like every other player here.” It won’t be long before we see Whitham appearing and scoring for her club like she has already for the U-17 USWNT. 

Micayla Johnson

Although Micayla Johnson, like Mak Whitham, hasn’t gotten many minutes for club this year, her record for country is unmatched. Playing at the U-17 and U-19 levels for the US, she’s scored in nearly every appearance she’s made for country. Johnson, who plays as a forward, has an incredible eye for goal that translated to results for club last season and surely will later this year as the Chicago Stars’ season continues.