Lilly Reale Bio
Lilly Ann Reale (born August 12, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender. She competes for Boston Legacy FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and represents the United States national team. Reale played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins, helping lead the program to the 2022 NCAA national championship. She earned first-team All-American honors twice and was named the Pac-12 or Big Ten Defender of the Year three times during her collegiate career.
Reale began her professional career with Gotham FC in 2025, winning the NWSL Championship in her debut season and earning NWSL Rookie of the Year honors. She has represented the United States at multiple youth international levels before making her senior national team debut in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Lilly Ann Reale was born on August 12, 2003, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Melissa and Jeff Reale. She has two younger siblings, including a sister named Sophie, who later played alongside her at UCLA. Reale was raised in Hingham, Massachusetts, where she started playing soccer at three or four years old.
She played club soccer for South Shore Select, where her teammate was Ally Sentnor, a future United States national team player. Reale attended Hingham High School, where she played both forward and center back. She scored 15 goals as a freshman and 21 as a sophomore before transitioning fully to defense.
After her sophomore year, Reale initially committed to Boston College for college soccer. Following the departure of the Boston College head coach, she changed her commitment to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she would spend the next four years.
Path to Soccer
Reale’s youth career began with South Shore Select, where she developed her defensive skills alongside future national team players. Her performances at Hingham High School drew attention from college scouts, and her commitment to UCLA placed her within one of the top women’s college soccer programs in the country.
She first joined a United States national team setup in 2017, attending training camp with the under-15 squad. Over the next several years, she progressed through the under-15, under-16, and under-17 national teams while continuing her club and high school development.
Her strong defensive play and composure on the ball positioned her as one of the top young defenders in the country. These early experiences prepared her for a smooth transition into the college ranks and, eventually, professional soccer.
Lilly Reale Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Reale arrived at UCLA in 2021 and immediately became a starter for the UCLA Bruins. During her freshman season, she contributed to a defensive unit that posted an eight-game shutout streak in the regular season. She earned All-Pac-12 Conference first-team honors and TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI recognition.
In her sophomore season in 2022, Reale was named the Pac-12 Defender of the Year and a second-team All-American by United Soccer Coaches. She played every minute of the 2022 NCAA tournament and was named its Most Outstanding Defensive Player after UCLA rallied from a 2–0 deficit to defeat North Carolina 3–2 in overtime for the national championship. She also received the Honda Sports Award as the best player in college soccer that season.
UCLA Career Peak (2023–2024)
Reale’s junior season in 2023 saw her lead the Bruins to a second Pac-12 championship. She was named a first-team All-American and became the only player to win consecutive Pac-12 Defender of the Year awards, joining Naomi Girma as the only two-time winners of the honor.
Following UCLA’s move to the Big Ten Conference in 2024, Reale helped the Bruins win the Big Ten tournament without conceding a goal across three matches. She was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year, earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, and added another first-team All-American selection. Over four college seasons, Reale made 83 appearances as a starter for UCLA.
Gotham FC Era (2025–2026)
Gotham FC announced on January 3, 2025, that they had signed Reale to her first professional contract, a three-year deal. Head coach Juan Carlos Amorós converted her from center back to left back, a position she quickly made her own. She made her professional debut on March 15, 2025, as a substitute after teammate Mandy Freeman was ejected late in a season-opening match against the Seattle Reign.
Reale scored her first professional goal on April 13, 2025, heading in a goal during Gotham’s 3–1 win over the North Carolina Courage. On May 25, 2025, she started the CONCACAF W Champions Cup final against Tigres and played the full match as Gotham won 1–0 to become the inaugural winners of that competition.
During the regular season, Reale appeared in all 26 league games, starting 21, logging more than 1,900 minutes, second among Gotham defenders only to Emily Sonnett. She started all three playoff matches as Gotham defeated Kansas City Current, Orlando Pride, and the Washington Spirit to win the NWSL Championship. A goal from Rose Lavelle secured the 1–0 victory in the final. Reale was named NWSL Rookie of the Year and selected to the NWSL Best XI Second Team.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although Reale is a defender rather than a driver, her playing strengths include positional awareness, composure under pressure, and adaptability across the back line. Her smooth transition from center back at UCLA to left back at Gotham FC reflects her tactical intelligence and willingness to embrace new roles.
Notable Events and Milestones
Reale’s most notable moments include her role in UCLA’s 2022 NCAA championship comeback, her first professional goal against the North Carolina Courage, and her contribution to Gotham FC’s 2025 NWSL Championship run. She also helped Gotham win the inaugural CONCACAF W Champions Cup and earned U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year honors in 2025.
Lilly Reale Career Wins
Lilly Reale has compiled an impressive list of team and individual honors across the college, club, and international levels. Her win total includes NCAA, conference, continental, and NWSL championships, alongside multiple individual awards recognizing her as one of the top defenders in the game.
UCLA and Gotham FC Highlights
With the UCLA Bruins, Reale won the 2022 NCAA national championship, the 2022 and 2023 Pac-12 Conference titles, and the 2024 Big Ten Conference tournament. Individually, she was named Pac-12 Defender of the Year in 2022 and 2023 and Big Ten Defender of the Year in 2024, while earning first-team All-American honors in 2023 and 2024.
With Gotham FC, Reale won the 2025 NWSL Championship and the inaugural 2025 CONCACAF W Champions Cup. Her first professional goal came against the North Carolina Courage on April 13, 2025, and her most recent NWSL win came during the 2025 playoff run.
Other Wins and Performances
At the international level, Reale won the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship with the United States U-20 team. She was later named U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in 2025 following her senior debut and strong rookie club season.
Lilly Reale Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Lilly Reale was born to Jeff and Melissa Reale and raised in Hingham, Massachusetts. Her sister, Sophie Reale, played alongside her at UCLA for one season before transferring to Boston College, reflecting the family’s deep ties to the sport.
Personal Life
Reale maintains close ties to her Massachusetts roots and returned to play professionally in her home state after being traded to Boston Legacy FC in June 2026. She signed a four-year contract with the club, keeping her in the NWSL through 2029.
2025 Season Performance
Lilly Reale’s 2025 season marked a remarkable rookie campaign with Gotham FC. She appeared in all 26 regular-season matches, starting 21, and logged over 1,900 minutes as a defender. Gotham finished the regular season in eighth place in the NWSL standings before mounting a strong playoff run.
In the postseason, Reale started all three matches as Gotham defeated Kansas City Current, Orlando Pride, and the Washington Spirit to capture the NWSL Championship. A 1–0 victory in the final, sealed by Rose Lavelle’s goal, completed the playoff sweep.
Beyond her club success, Reale received her first senior United States call-up from head coach Emma Hayes and debuted on June 26, 2025, against the Republic of Ireland. She was named NWSL Rookie of the Year, included in the NWSL Best XI Second Team, and recognized as U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year, capping a debut season that established her as one of the league’s top young defenders.
