Maddie Mercado

Last updated

Maddie Mercado
NC Courage vs Seattle Reign (Mar 2025) 010 (Mercado).jpg
Mercado with the Seattle Reign in 2025
Personal information
Full name Madison Mercado [1]
Date of birth (2001-04-01) April 1, 2001 (age 24) [2]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Carolina Ascent
(on loan from the Seattle Reign)
Number 4
Youth career
San Diego Surf
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–2023 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 94 (26)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2024– Seattle Reign 16 (1)
2025– → Carolina Ascent (loan) 1 (1)
International career‡
2016 United States U-15
2017 United States U-17 3 (0)
2020 United States U-19 0 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 3, 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of April 13, 2025

Madison Mercado (born April 1, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for USL Super League club Carolina Ascent FC, on loan from Seattle Reign FC. She played college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before being selected by the Reign in the second round of the 2024 NWSL Draft.

Contents

Early life

Mercado was raised in San Diego, California. Her parents both played tennis collegiately, with her mother progressing to a professional career. [3] Mercado attended Cathedral Catholic High School, where she played soccer [4] and helped the team become 2016 CIF Southern California High School Champions. She also played youth soccer for San Diego Surf SC in the ECNL. In 2017, Mercado was named the 2017 Western Conference Player of the Year. [3] [5]

College career

Mercado played collegiately for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Her first goal with Notre Dame occurred in her Sophomore year, on March 20, 2020. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, Mercado was named to the ACC All-Academic Team. [3]

In 2022, Mercado scored a career-high 10 goals and tallied a career-high 4 assists. [6] [3] She played in all 23 of the Fighting Irish's matches as the team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament for the first time in a decade. [7] On the way to the quarterfinals, Mercado scored in the team's opening round victory over Omaha and in their round-of-16 match versus TCU. [8] [9]

Mercado finished her final collegiate season leading the team in goals and points. She was also named to the All-ACC second team. [10]

Club career

Seattle Reign

On January 12, 2024, Mercado was selected by Seattle Reign FC as the 27th overall pick of the 2024 NWSL Draft. [11] [12] She signed a one-year contract with the Reign on March 13, 2024. [13] On May 8, Mercado made her professional debut as a second-half substitute in a 0–0 draw with the Kansas City Current. [14] Mercado's next minutes with the Reign occurred during the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, where she started the club's first two games. [15] [16] In the second match, an eventual loss to Club Tijuana, Mercado netted her first professional goal. [16] She scored her first NWSL regular season goal in the Reign's final match of 2024, providing the team's second goal in a 3–2 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Pride. [17] [18]

Mercado recorded her first regular season assist and starting appearance on March 25, 2025. Her assist to Jess Fishlock was an NWSL Assist of the Week nominee. [19] On August 20, Mercado signed a one-year extension through 2026 with a player option for another season. [20] She was then immediately loaned out to

Carolina Ascent (loan)

Immediately following her extension with the Reign, Mercado was loaned out to USL Super League club Carolina Ascent FC through the end of 2025. [20] She made her first appearance and scored her first goal for the club in the Ascent's season-opening draw with Fort Lauderdale United FC on August 30, 2025. Her strike, which found the back of the net 43 seconds into the match, became the fastest goal scored in USL Super League history. [21]

International career

Mercado has represented the United States at youth level from U-14 to U-19 age groups. [3] [5] In 2016, Mercado helped the United States girls' national under-15 soccer team win the 2016 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship, [22] [23] scoring two goals in the team's quarterfinal match. [24] [25] As part of the United States women's national under-19 soccer team, Mercado was named to the squad for the 2020 La Manga Tournament. [26] She was an unused substitute for the first match [27] but started in both of the United States' remaining fixtures against the Netherlands and England. [28] [29]

Personal life

Mercado's older brother, Michael Mercado, is a professional baseball pitcher. [30] He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2017 MLB Draft [5] [31] and plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. [30]

References

  1. ↑ "University of Notre Dame Commencement Official" (PDF). Notre Dame University. p. 52. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  2. ↑ "27 / Maddie Mercado". Seattle Reign. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Maddie Mercado". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. July 2, 2019. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Feb. 16: Week in sports for Rancho Santa Fe, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas". San Diego Union-Tribune. February 17, 2017. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "Maddie Mercado". Seattle Reign FC. July 27, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Notre Dame women's soccer enters 2023 looking to build on quarterfinal run". Notre Dame women’s soccer enters 2023 looking to build on quarterfinal run - The Observer. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Notre Dame's Season Comes to Close with 2-0 Loss to UNC In NCAA Quarterfinals". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. November 26, 2022. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Irish Dominate In 5-0 NCAA Tournament Win Over Omaha". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. November 12, 2022. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Irish Advance To Elite Eight In 2-0 Win Over TCU". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  10. ↑ "2023 All-ACC Women's Soccer Awards Announced". theacc.com. November 1, 2023. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Seattle Reign FC Selects Three Players in 2024 NWSL Draft". Seattle Reign FC. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Van Zanten, Mercado, Selected in NWSL Draft". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. January 18, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Seattle Reign FC Signs 2024 NWSL Draft Pick Maddie Mercado". Seattle Reign FC. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  14. ↑ "2023 All-ACC Women's Soccer Awards Announced". theacc.com. November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Seattle Reign FC Starting XI vs. Utah Royals FC - Summer Cup". Seattle Reign FC. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  16. 1 2 "Match Recap: Seattle Reign FC Falls to Club Tijuana". Seattle Reign FC. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  17. ↑ staff, Seattle Times sports (November 2, 2024). "Reign fall 3-2 to Orlando Pride in season finale". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Match Recap: Seattle Falls to Orlando". Seattle Reign FC. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Midfielder Maddie Mercado Nominated for Assist of the Week". Seattle Reign FC. Archived from the original on April 7, 2025. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  20. 1 2 "Seattle Reign FC Signs Midfielder Maddie Mercado to One-Year Extension with an Option for 2027; Loans Mercado to Carolina Ascent FC". Seattle Reign FC . Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Harding's Late Equalizer Secures Point in Carolina Ascent's Opener". Carolina Ascent FC. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  22. ↑ "USA defeats Canada 2-0 in CONCACAF U-15 Girls Championship title match". SoccerWire. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  23. ↑ "U.S. U15 GIRLS NATIONAL TEAM CROWNED CONCACAF CHAMPIONS • SoccerToday". SoccerToday. August 26, 2016. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  24. ↑ "U.S. U15 Girls National Team routs Bermuda in CONCACAF quarterfinal". SoccerWire. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  25. ↑ "CU15G Recap: August 17, 2016 (Quarterfinals)". Concacaf. February 14, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  26. ↑ "U.S. U-19 Women's National Team roster set for tournament in La Manga, Spain". SoccerWire. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  27. ↑ "U-19 USWNT Defeats England 3-0 to Open Tournament in La Manga, Spain". www.ussoccer.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  28. ↑ "U-19 USWNT Defeats Netherlands 2-1 for Second Wins in as Many Games at Tournament in La Manga, Spain". www.ussoccer.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  29. ↑ "U-19 USWNT Falls to Sweden 2-1 in Final Match of La Manga Tournament in Spain". www.ussoccer.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  30. 1 2 "Michael Mercado Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  31. ↑ "2017 MLB first-year player draft order". ESPN.com. May 5, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
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