USWNT players who have won silverware in Europe

The United States has long been the pinnacle for women’s domestic football, with the NWSL – and the WUSA and WPS before that – often attracting the very best talent from across the globe.

As a result, many USWNT members spend their entire careers playing in the domestic league on home soil.

However, some venture across to Europe for spells of various lengths, and occasionally get their hands on some silverware. Let’s take a look at which USWNT players have been successful in Europe.

Ali Krieger became the joint first USA international to win the Women’s Champions League when she triumphed in the competition with Frankfurt in 2008.

The defender spent five years at Frankfurt between 2007 and 2012, and she would also win the Bundesliga and two DFB-Pokal titles during her time in Europe.

A teammate of Krieger’s at Frankfurt, Lewandowski was also a part of the German side’s 2007/08 Champions League winning side and therefore also the first USA international to win European football’s most prestigious club footballing prize.

The defender also remained with Frankfurt until 2012, winning the treble in 2007/08 and picking up another DFB-Pokal title in 2011. She then spent seven years with Bayern Munich, making over 100 appearances and collecting a further two Bundesliga titles.

Alyssa Naeher moved to Turbine Potsdam on a permanent deal in 2011, and spent two seasons with the German outfit.

The goalkeeper was Potsdam’s number one as they won the 2011/12 Bundesliga title, before finishing as runners up in the league and DFB-Pokal the following season.

Meghan Klingenberg had a two-year stint with Swedish outfit Tyreso between 2012 and 2014, and was part of the side that won their inaugural – and only – Damallsvenskan title in 2012.

It was a star studded Tyreso side that also included a couple of Klingenberg’s USWNT teammates and Brazilian icon Marta. They also reached the 2013/14 Champions League final, but shortly after their defeat to Wolfsburg, the club went bankrupt and folded.

Christen Press has enjoyed two separate spells in Sweden, twice signing for Kopparbergs/Goteborg FC and spending the 2013/14 season with Tyreso – where she was a beaten Champions League finalist.

It was with Kopparbergs/Goteborg that Press lifted a trophy in 2012, as her side were victorious in the Svenska Cupen (the Swedish Cup).

Whitney Engen was also a part of Tyreso’s 2014 beaten Champions League finalists, and although she had two spells with the Swedish outfit, this was not where she got her hands on silverware in Europe.

Sandwiched between her two stints in Sweden, the defender spent the 2013 season with Liverpool. Engen was one of a number of overseas stars to flock to Merseyside and helped to guide the Reds to their maiden WSL title.

Megan Rapinoe spent 12 months with European heavyweights Lyon between January 2013 and January 2014.

The 2019 World Cup Golden Ball winner won the Division One title and Coupe de France Feminine during her time in France, but missed out on a Champions League winner’s medal as Lyon suffered a 1-0 loss to Wolfsburg in the 2012/13 final.

One of the game’s biggest global stars had a short spell with one of the game’s most prestigious sides in 2017, as Alex Morgan spent six months with Lyon.

The forward won the treble with the French giants, scoring five goals in eight league appearances, but was forced off just 23 minutes into Lyon’s Champions League final victory over PSG with a hamstring injury.

Carli Lloyd spent the 2017 Spring Series on loan at Manchester City, becoming one of the biggest signings in WSL history.

The forward netted in the final of the 2017 Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley as City beat Birmingham 4-1 – and eight days later she was sent off in the final match of her spell in England for elbowing a Yeovil player in the face.

Crystal Dunn had a brief one-year spell with Chelsea between January 2017 and February 2018.

The versatile wide player was part of the Chelsea side who won the 2017 Spring Series, and she would score three goals in 15 appearances for the Blues before departing for North Carolina Courage.

Heather O’Reilly spent one of the final years of her esteemed career with Arsenal, joining the Gunners in January 2017 and departing in the summer of 2018.

During her time in north London, the winger lifted the Continental Cup, coming off the bench during Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City in 2018.

Within three months of joining Manchester City from North Carolina Courage in 2020, Sam Mewis had got her hands on some silverware, as she played an instrumental role in City’s 2019/20 FA Cup triumph.

The midfielder turned in a player of the match performance in her side’s quarter final victory over Arsenal, and opening the scoring as City beat Everton 3-1 in the final.

Rose Lavelle was also part of Manchester City’s 2019/20 FA Cup final triumph, shortly after joining the club from Washington Spirit in the summer of 2020.

The winger started and played 70 minutes during the Citizens’ 3-1 extra time victory over a stubborn Everton side in the final at Wembley.