Women's Soccer 8/10/2026 3:47:00 PM

Swarthmore Women’s Soccer Takes on the World Cup

Coach Todd and his family at the Brazil vs. Haiti game in Philadelphia.

At the end of every school year, members of the Swarthmore women's soccer team say their goodbyes and head to their destinations in different corners of the world. This summer, despite being separated by thousands of miles, players and coaches stayed connected through a shared passion for the FIFA World Cup. Spanning across 108 matches, 48 teams, and 16 stadiums, the global tournament captivated the attention – and hearts – of millions who waited four years to watch their team play on the international stage. Over five weeks of competition, several Swarthmore players and coaches had the opportunity to watch the World Cup matches from inside the stadium. Here, a few share what it was like to experience the tournament firsthand.

Nicole Jensen '28 | Brazil vs. Morocco and Brazil vs. Haiti
I went to both the Brazil vs. Morocco game at MetLife Stadium and the Brazil vs. Haiti game in Philadelphia, and I've been watching as many matches as possible this summer. Even though I went to the games by myself, I got to meet up with Coach Todd and his family in Philly!

Celebrating and sharing moments with Brazil fans throughout this World Cup has been incredible. Whether in the stadiums or on the streets of New York and Philadelphia, it has felt like a little piece of home. My most memorable moment, though, was meeting one of the Brazil players through a mutual friend and then driving him to lunch at Endrick's house in New Jersey on their day off!

I am especially cheering for my two favorite players, Endrick and Danilo Santos, and of course rooting for the greatest and only five-time world champion, the Seleção Brasileira!

I've been living and breathing soccer this summer. The World Cup is one of, if not my favorite, events every four years, and getting to experience it in person has been something really, really special.
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Women's Soccer takes on the World Cup

Aminah Evans '28 | France vs. Senegal
I attended Senegal vs. France on June 18 at the New York/New Jersey Stadium. I went with my family, and we were all rooting for Senegal! My most memorable moment was watching 18-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye fight back in the second half and score a massive goal to narrow France's lead. Although France ultimately won 3-1, it was surreal to see so many soccer legends, like Sadio Mané, Kylian Mbappé, and Ousmane Dembélé, on the same pitch.
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Lauren Lior '27 | France vs. Paraguay

On the 4th of July I went to the Round of 16 game between France and Paraguay! I was with Gugi and my little brother Jesse and my favorite moment was probably experiencing the atmosphere at a World Cup game. We were rooting for France and my favorite player to watch was Michael Olise.
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Sydney Ross '28 | United States vs. Paraguay
I went to the first game of the World Cup that the United States hosted, which was the US vs. Paraguay in LA! I went with Isa, who sadly just graduated this past spring from the Swat women's soccer team, and we were both rooting for the US. My most memorable moment was Gio Reyna scoring a trivela goal during the last play of second half stoppage time to seal the 4-1 win. We were surrounded by the best fans and everyone was cheering and hugging each other - it was so fun to see so many people come together like this.
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Ava Gizzie '27 | United States vs. Türkiye
I met up with some teammates (Sims, Lucy, and Sydney) in downtown Chicago on June 25th for dinner and the USMNT vs. Türkiye game. We were definitely cheering for the U.S. evidenced by the fact that we all wore our US soccer gear :). My favorite player of the tournament was definitely Folarin Balogun, and my favorite player of this game was Ricardo Pepi. We loved watching the game on Telemundo — shoutout to the Telemundo commentators they are the best!

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Players Mentioned

#25 Aminah Evans: D; Sophomore

#2 Ava Gizzie: F; 5' 5"; Junior

#21 Nicole Jensen: M; Sophomore

#11 Lauren Lior: F; 5' 4"; Junior

#15 Sydney Ross: F; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#25 Aminah Evans
: Sophomore
: D

#2 Ava Gizzie
: 5' 5"; Junior
: F

#21 Nicole Jensen
: Sophomore
: M

#11 Lauren Lior
: 5' 4"; Junior
: F

#15 Sydney Ross
: Sophomore
: F

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Swarthmore Women’s Soccer Takes on the World Cup

Players Mentioned

#25 Aminah Evans

#2 Ava Gizzie

#21 Nicole Jensen

#11 Lauren Lior

#15 Sydney Ross

Players Mentioned

#25 Aminah Evans

#2 Ava Gizzie

#21 Nicole Jensen

#11 Lauren Lior

#15 Sydney Ross