Carissa Boeckman Bio
Carissa Marie Boeckmann (born May 23, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Portuguese Campeonato Nacional Feminino club Benfica. She played college soccer for the Texas A&M Aggies and the Florida State Seminoles before launching her professional career in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) with the Portland Thorns in 2025.
A San Antonio, Texas native, Boeckmann came up through the Classics Elite Soccer Academy and built a versatile midfield résumé across the top tiers of U.S. college soccer. Her move to Europe in the same calendar year as her NWSL debut signaled an unusually fast rise from college standout to international professional.
Early Life and Background
Boeckmann was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She grew up with a twin brother and an older sister, and she first started playing soccer at around four years old. The sport became a central part of her childhood, and she spent her early years training and competing in the strong South Texas youth soccer scene.
She attended Incarnate Word High School in San Antonio before transferring to Antonian College Preparatory High School in nearby Castle Hills. At Antonian she earned Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) first-team all-state honors twice, establishing herself as one of the top high school midfielders in the state.
On the club side, Boeckmann played for Classics Elite Soccer Academy from 2013 through 2021, where she was named to the ECNL all-conference team four times. She committed to Texas A&M before her junior year, signaling her intent to pursue a high-level collegiate career at a major Southeastern Conference (SEC) program.
Path to Soccer
Boeckmann’s progression through Classics Elite and her TAPPS all-state honors gave her a clear path into Division I college soccer. Her four ECNL all-conference selections placed her among the most decorated youth players in her region and drew the attention of top collegiate recruiters.
Her commitment to Texas A&M before her junior year of high school confirmed her status as a priority recruit. She arrived in College Station ready to compete for minutes in a deep Aggies midfield and immediately became a contributor.
At the collegiate level, she logged four consecutive seasons of meaningful playing time across two elite programs. Those years sharpened her tactical understanding of midfield responsibilities and prepared her to handle the demands of full-time professional soccer.
Carissa Boeckman Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Boeckmann began her collegiate career with the Texas A&M Aggies in 2021. As a freshman she appeared in all 18 matches, started four, and scored two goals. She followed that with another full season in 2022, starting 15 of 21 games and adding two more goals, and then a junior year in 2023 in which she started 11 of 22 games and again scored twice.
During the summer of 2023, she joined Tampa Bay United in the USL W League. She led the team with 10 goals across 11 matches and was named the Southeast Division Player of the Year, providing her first sustained run of senior-level scoring form.
Texas A&M Era (2021–2023)
Across three seasons in College Station, Boeckmann became a reliable rotation player in the Aggies midfield. The 2023 campaign ended with Texas A&M reaching the SEC tournament semifinals and the second round of the NCAA tournament, giving Boeckmann her first taste of national postseason play.
Florida State Era (2024)
After the 2023 season, Boeckmann transferred to the Florida State Seminoles, the defending national champions. In 2024 she started all 21 games and scored one goal, helping the Seminoles win a fifth consecutive ACC tournament title and earn a number-one seed in the NCAA tournament.
The Seminoles were eliminated in the NCAA tournament second round via penalty shootout. Boeckmann was one of two Florida State players whose penalty attempts were saved in that decisive finish, a tough ending to a season that otherwise cemented her reputation as a top-tier college midfielder.
Portland Thorns Era (2025)
On February 16, 2025, the Portland Thorns of the NWSL announced the signing of Boeckmann to her first professional contract on a one-year deal. She served as a depth piece behind established midfielders such as Sam Coffey and Jessie Fleming while learning the professional environment.
On May 24, 2025, she made her professional debut against Club América in a 3–0 third-place finish at the CONCACAF W Champions Cup. She started the match and assisted on the opening goal scored by Pietra Tordin.
Benfica Era (2025–Present)
On September 6, 2025, Boeckmann was transferred to Portuguese champions Benfica, where she signed a two-year contract running through the summer of 2027. The move represented a quick step up to one of the traditional powers of European women’s soccer and into the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
She made her league debut later in September against Damaiense and then her Champions League debut against Juventus. On October 19, she earned her first Benfica start and scored her first professional goal in a 5–1 Taça da Liga Feminina win over Marítimo. On November 19, she made a second start in a 2–0 Champions League loss to Paris FC.
In league play she scored one goal, the final strike in a 5–0 win over Racing Power, as Benfica clinched their sixth consecutive Campeonato Nacional Feminino title.
Driving Style and Strengths
On the pitch, Boeckmann reads the game as a central midfielder with the stamina to cover large distances and the composure to keep the ball under pressure. Her background as a four-time ECNL all-conference selection and a full-time starter at two elite college programs has given her the tactical discipline and two-footed passing range demanded by both NWSL and Campeonato Nacional Feminino football.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her professional debut against Club América in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup, her first Benfica start and goal against Marítimo in the Taça da Liga Feminina, and her part in Benfica’s sixth straight Portuguese league championship stand out as the early signature moments of her senior career.
Carissa Boeckman Career Wins
Boeckmann’s senior trophy case is still being built, but she already has a major domestic league title to her name.
Campeonato Nacional Feminino Highlights
In her first partial season with Benfica, Boeckmann contributed a league goal, the last in a 5–0 win over Racing Power, as the club secured its sixth consecutive Campeonato Nacional Feminino championship. The title underlined how quickly she integrated into a title-winning squad.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Boeckmann earned a third-place finish at the 2025 CONCACAF W Champions Cup with the Portland Thorns and lifted the Taça da Liga Feminina after scoring in Benfica’s win over Marítimo. She also helped Florida State win the 2024 ACC tournament and Tampa Bay United claim the USL W League Southeast Division title in 2023.
Carissa Boeckman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Boeckmann grew up in San Antonio with a twin brother and an older sister, and the family supported her early commitment to soccer from the age of four. Her development through Classics Elite and her eventual signing as a professional reflect a close family environment that invested heavily in her athletic growth.
Personal Life
Boeckmann is an American citizen who was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She maintains an active public profile through her Instagram account, where fans can follow her progress with Benfica.
2025 Season Performance
Boeckmann’s 2025 season has been a whirlwind. She signed her first professional contract with the Portland Thorns in February, debuted at the CONCACAF W Champions Cup in May, transferred to Portuguese champions Benfica in early September, and finished the year by helping Benfica clinch a sixth straight Campeonato Nacional Feminino title.
Across the calendar year she logged competitive minutes in three different competitions: the NWSL and CONCACAF W Champions Cup with Portland, and the Campeonato Nacional Feminino, Taça da Liga Feminina, and UEFA Women’s Champions League with Benfica. Her first professional goal came on October 19 against Marítimo, and her first league goal followed against Racing Power.
Heading into 2026, Boeckmann is under contract with Benfica through the summer of 2027, leaving her well positioned to compete for another Portuguese league crown and a deeper UEFA Women’s Champions League run.