Lilly Reale Bio
Lilly Ann Reale (born August 12, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. Reale played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins and helped lead the team to the 2022 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. She began her professional career with Gotham, winning NWSL Rookie of the Year and lifting the NWSL Championship trophy in 2025. Reale represented the United States at the youth international level, appearing at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, before making her senior debut in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Lilly Reale was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Melissa and Jeff Reale, and has two younger siblings. Her sister, Sophie, played with her at UCLA for one season. Reale was raised in Hingham and started playing soccer at three or four years old. She played club soccer for South Shore Select alongside Ally Sentnor. At Hingham High School, she played both forward and center back, scoring 15 goals as a freshman and 21 as a sophomore before dedicating herself to defense. Initially committed to play college soccer at Boston College, she changed her commitment to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) after the head coach left.
Path to Soccer
Reale was a four-year starter for the UCLA Bruins, making 83 appearances. In her freshman season in 2021, she contributed to the team posting an eight-game shutout streak during the regular season. She received All-Pac-12 Conference first-team and TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI honors. UCLA went undefeated to win the Pac-12 conference title but were upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In her sophomore season in 2022, Reale was named the Pac-12 Defender of the Year and second-team All-American by United Soccer Coaches. In the 2022 national title game, UCLA came back from a 2–0 deficit to win 3–2 in overtime. Reale played every minute of the NCAA tournament and was named its Most Outstanding Defensive Player. After the season, she was awarded the Honda Sports Award as the best player in college soccer. Reale led the Bruins to her second Pac-12 championship in her junior season in 2023. She was named first-team All-American and became the only player to win consecutive Pac-12 Defender of the Year awards. With the program’s move to the Big Ten Conference in her senior season in 2024, Reale helped UCLA win the Big Ten tournament without conceding in three tournament games. She was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and first-team All-American.
Lilly Reale Career
Early Career (2021–2024)
Gotham FC announced on January 3, 2025, that they had signed Reale to her first professional contract on a three-year deal. Previously a center back in college, she was moved to the left back position by head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. She made her professional debut on March 15, 2025, as a substitute after Mandy Freeman was ejected late on the opening matchday against the Seattle Reign. The following week, she scored an own goal two minutes into her first professional start, a 2–0 defeat to the Orlando Pride. Despite the error, Amorós praised her performance for the remainder of the game. Reale scored her first goal for Gotham on April 13, 2025, heading in the third in a 3–1 win over the North Carolina Courage.
Breakthrough (2025)
Reale played in all 26 league games during her rookie season, starting 21, as Gotham placed eighth in the standings. She had one goal and logged over 1,900 minutes in the regular season, with only Emily Sonnett playing more for the team as a defender. In the playoffs, she started all three games as Gotham defeated the NWSL Shield winners Kansas City Current in the quarterfinals, defending champions Orlando Pride in the semifinals, and the Washington Spirit in the final. In the championship game, she was booked while containing Rosemonde Kouassi and substituted out after 63 minutes before Gotham won 1–0 on a goal from Rose Lavelle. She was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year and included in the NWSL Best XI Second Team at the end of the season.
Notable Works and Milestones
Lilly Reale’s signature work includes her pivotal role in leading Gotham FC to the NWSL Championship in 2025, where she was recognized as the NWSL Rookie of the Year.
Lilly Reale Award Nominations
Throughout her career, Lilly Reale has received notable nominations, including the NWSL Rookie of the Year in 2025.
Lilly Reale Awards Won
Lilly Reale has won the NWSL Rookie of the Year award in 2025, marking a significant achievement early in her professional career.
Lilly Reale Family
Lilly Reale was born to Jeff and Melissa Reale. She has two younger siblings, one of whom, Sophie, played alongside her at UCLA.
Personal Life
Details regarding Lilly Reale’s personal life beyond her family are not publicly available.
