Riley Jackson

Riley Francis Jackson (born December 2, 2005) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was named the national Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2022. She signed with the Courage at the age of 17 in 2023. She represented the United States at the under-17 and under-20 level, helping win bronze at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Riley Jackson

Jackson with the North Carolina Courage in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Riley Francis Jackson[1]
Date of birth	(2005-12-02) December 2, 2005 (age 19)[1]
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	North Carolina Courage
Number	16
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2023–	North Carolina Courage	34	(2)
International career‡
2022	United States U17	12	(2)
2024	United States U20	15	(1)
2025–	United States U23	1	(0)
Medal record Women's soccer FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of August 16, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of May 30, 2025

Early life

Jackson grew up in Roswell, Georgia.^[2] She played ten years of club soccer for Roswell Soccer Club, a team coached by her father.^[2] She then joined Concorde Fire of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), where she played up an age group.^[2] She was named the ECNL's Southeast Conference Player of the Year in 2021. After helping the Fire win the national club title, she was named the ECNL National Player of the Year in 2022.^[3][4]

Jackson played high school soccer for Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, recording 36 goals and 48 assists over her career.^[5] In her sophomore year in 2022, she scored 14 goals and had 18 assists and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year.^[6]

Club career

North Carolina Courage

Jackson was signed by the North Carolina Courage on July 28, 2023, at age 17, through the NWSL's Under-18 Entry Mechanism, on a contract through the 2025 season with an option for an additional year.^[7][8] She had previously committed to play college soccer at Duke University.^[9][10] She did not appear in a game in the 2023 season.^[11]

Jackson made her professional debut on March 16, 2024, coming on as a 90th-minute substitute for Ashley Sanchez on the opening matchday against the Houston Dash.^[12] She earned her first start in her 12th appearance on June 23, a 3–1 home win against the Chicago Red Stars.^[13] On July 26, she scored her first professional goal, a stoppage-time equalizer from outside the box against Racing Louisville in the Summer Cup group stage. The game ended 1–1 and went to a penalty shootout in which Jackson scored the Courage's opening penalty kick in the victory.^[14] She made 22 appearances, 5 of them as a starter, in all competitions in her debut 2024 season.^[15]

Jackson scored her first regular-season goal on March 15, 2025, netting the equalizer in the season opener, a 1–1 draw against Racing Louisville.^[15]

International career

Jackson got her first call up to a youth national team training camp with the under-15 team in October 2019.^[2] She trained again with the team in March 2020 at a camp run by her future Courage coach Sean Nahas.^[9][16] When youth soccer returned from its COVID-19 pandemic hiatus, Jackson traveled abroad for the first time to play for the national under-17 team at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in the Dominican Republic.^[2] She co-captained the team to win the tournament, scoring two goals and making three assists, and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.^[4] She recorded two assists at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, where the United States fell to Nigeria in the quarterfinals on penalties. Jackson was one of two United States players whose penalties were saved in the shootout.^[4][17]

Jackson played friendlies for the under-20 team before being selected to the roster for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.^[18][19] She played all but 45 minutes at the U-20 Women's World Cup, helping the United States finish in third place, its best result since 2012. She converted a penalty kick in a shootout win over Germany in the quarterfinals.^[20][21] She was called up by Emma Hayes into Futures Camp, practicing alongside the senior national team, in January 2025.^[22]