Maddie Mercado

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Maddie Mercado
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
 Seattle Reign
Number 2
Youth career
San Diego Surf
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2023 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 94 (26)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Seattle Reign 5 (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, correct as of November 4, 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of April 13, 2025

Madison Mercado (born April 1, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). 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.

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 also was named to the All-ACC second team.[10] Mercado finished her 5-season collegiate career with 94 appearances and 26 goals scored.[3]

Club career

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]

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,[20][21] scoring two goals in the team's quarterfinal match.[22][23] 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.[24] She was an unused substitute for the first match[25] but started in both of the United States' remaining fixtures against the Netherlands and England.[26][27]

Personal life

Mercado's older brother, Michael Mercado, is a professional baseball pitcher.[28] He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2017 MLB Draft[5][29] and plays for the Philadelphia Phillies.[28]

References

  1. ^ "University of Notre Dame Commencement Official" (PDF). Notre Dame University. p. 52. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  2. ^ "27 / Maddie Mercado". Seattle Reign. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Maddie Mercado". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. July 2, 2019. 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. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "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. 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. 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. 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. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  11. ^ "Seattle Reign FC Selects Three Players in 2024 NWSL Draft". Seattle Reign FC. 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. 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. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "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. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  18. ^ "Match Recap: Seattle Falls to Orlando". Seattle Reign FC. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  19. ^ "Midfielder Maddie Mercado Nominated for Assist of the Week". Seattle Reign FC. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  20. ^ "USA defeats Canada 2-0 in CONCACAF U-15 Girls Championship title match". SoccerWire. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  21. ^ "U.S. U15 GIRLS NATIONAL TEAM CROWNED CONCACAF CHAMPIONS • SoccerToday". SoccerToday. August 26, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  22. ^ "U.S. U15 Girls National Team routs Bermuda in CONCACAF quarterfinal". SoccerWire. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  23. ^ "CU15G Recap: August 17, 2016 (Quarterfinals)". Concacaf. February 14, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  24. ^ "U.S. U-19 Women's National Team roster set for tournament in La Manga, Spain". SoccerWire. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  25. ^ "U-19 USWNT Defeats England 3-0 to Open Tournament in La Manga, Spain". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  26. ^ "U-19 USWNT Defeats Netherlands 2-1 for Second Wins in as Many Games at Tournament in La Manga, Spain". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  27. ^ "U-19 USWNT Falls to Sweden 2-1 in Final Match of La Manga Tournament in Spain". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Michael Mercado Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  29. ^ "2017 MLB first-year player draft order". ESPN.com. May 5, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2024.