Maddie Mercado Bio
Madison Mercado (born April 1, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker or 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. Mercado has represented the United States at multiple youth national team levels and has quickly built a reputation as a sharp finisher in both league and cup play.
Standing 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) tall, Mercado wears the number 2 shirt for the Reign and is widely regarded as a versatile attacker capable of playing across the front line. Her professional journey has taken her from San Diego youth soccer to the international stage with U.S. youth national teams, and back into the domestic top flight.
Early Life and Background
Mercado was raised in San Diego, California, in a family with a strong athletic background. Both of her parents played tennis at the collegiate level, and her mother progressed into a professional tennis career. Growing up in that environment helped shape Mercado’s competitive drive and her early love of sport.
She attended Cathedral Catholic High School, where she played soccer and helped the team become the 2016 CIF Southern California High School Champions. Mercado also played youth club soccer for San Diego Surf SC in the ECNL, one of the top youth development pipelines in the country. In 2017, she was named the Western Conference Player of the Year, an award that confirmed her status as one of the top young players in her region.
Beyond soccer, Mercado comes from a family with professional sports ties. Her older brother, Michael Mercado, is a professional baseball pitcher who was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2017 MLB Draft and later played for the Philadelphia Phillies. Their shared athletic pedigree has been a defining part of her upbringing.
Path to Soccer
Mercado’s pathway into professional soccer began in Southern California’s competitive youth landscape. Her time with San Diego Surf SC in the ECNL gave her high-level matches against top prospects and helped her earn call-ups to U.S. youth national teams. She represented the United States at the U-14 level and progressed steadily through the age groups.
In 2016, Mercado helped the United States girls’ national under-15 team win the 2016 CONCACAF Girls’ U-15 Championship, scoring two goals in the team’s quarterfinal match. She continued with the U-17 setup in 2017, the same year she earned Western Conference Player of the Year honors. As a member of the United States women’s national under-19 team, she was named to the squad for the 2020 La Manga Tournament, where she started against the Netherlands and England after being an unused substitute in the opener.
Those youth experiences convinced Mercado to take the college route, and she committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where she would spend the next four seasons refining her game before turning professional.
Maddie Mercado Career
Early Career (2019–2023)
Mercado played collegiately for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2019 through 2023. Her first goal with Notre Dame came during her sophomore year on March 20, 2020, a small milestone that hinted at her scoring instincts. She continued to develop through the pandemic-affected seasons and grew into a key contributor for the program.
Her breakout arrived in 2022, when she recorded a career-high 10 goals and 4 assists. Mercado played in all 23 of Notre Dame’s matches that season as the team advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the first time in a decade. Along the way, she scored in the opening round victory over Omaha and added another goal in the round-of-16 win over TCU. She finished her final collegiate season leading the Fighting Irish in both goals and points and was named to the All-ACC second team.
NWSL Breakthrough (2024)
On January 12, 2024, Mercado was selected by Seattle Reign FC as the 27th overall pick of the 2024 NWSL Draft. She signed a one-year contract with the Reign on March 13, 2024, and made her professional debut on May 8, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 0–0 draw with the Kansas City Current. Her first extended minutes came during the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, where she started the club’s first two matches.
In the second Summer Cup match, an eventual loss to Club Tijuana, Mercado netted her first professional goal. She scored her first NWSL regular season goal in the Reign’s final match of 2024, contributing the team’s second goal in a 3–2 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Pride. Those late-season minutes gave her a foundation to build on heading into her second professional year.
Seattle Reign Era (2024–Present)
Mercado opened 2025 by recording her first regular season assist and starting appearance on March 25, a helper to Jess Fishlock that was nominated for NWSL Assist of the Week. On August 20, she signed a one-year extension through 2026 with a player option for an additional season, and was immediately loaned to USL Super League club Carolina Ascent FC through the end of 2025.
Her loan stint became one of the most explosive debut runs in the USL Super League. Mercado scored in Carolina Ascent’s season-opening draw with Fort Lauderdale United FC on August 30, 2025, with a strike 43 seconds into the match that became the fastest goal in USL Super League history. She followed that with a stoppage-time equalizer in a 2–2 draw with the Tampa Bay Sun, and then scored against expansion side Sporting Club Jacksonville on September 13, giving her three goals in her first three matches with the Ascent. That run earned her a spot on the Super League’s September Team of the Month bench. She was recalled on October 8 after starting six matches and scoring four goals.
Back with the Reign, Mercado started two of Seattle’s three remaining regular season matches and started the Reign’s first-round playoff match against the Orlando Pride on November 7, a 2–0 defeat. At the start of the 2026 season, she shifted higher up the field and scored in back-to-back matches, heading home against the Kansas City Current on March 25 and adding a low strike against Racing Louisville FC three days later.
Driving Style and Strengths
Mercado is a versatile attacker comfortable playing as a striker or midfielder, with a profile built around sharp finishing, quick movement off the ball, and a willingness to arrive late in the box. Her loan spell at Carolina Ascent showcased her ability to score a variety of goals, from poacher’s finishes to long-range strikes, while her NWSL work for the Reign has highlighted her aerial ability and link-up play with veterans like Jess Fishlock.
Notable Events and Milestones
Mercado’s standout moments include her 43-second debut goal for Carolina Ascent, the fastest in USL Super League history, and her back-to-back goals to open the 2026 NWSL season for Seattle Reign. Earlier, her 2017 Western Conference Player of the Year award and 2016 CONCACAF Girls’ U-15 Championship title marked her as one of the United States’ top young prospects.
Maddie Mercado Career Wins
Mercado’s competitive résumé features team championships from her youth and high school years, individual awards from the ECNL circuit, and a steady list of on-field milestones since turning professional with the Reign and on loan with Carolina Ascent.
Club and Collegiate Highlights
At the club level, Mercado helped Cathedral Catholic win the 2016 CIF Southern California High School Championship and won the 2016 CONCACAF Girls’ U-15 Championship with the United States. She finished her Notre Dame career as the team’s leading scorer in her final season, earned All-ACC second team honors, and played a central role in the Fighting Irish’s run to the 2022 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
In the NWSL, Mercado’s first regular season goal came in Seattle’s 2024 finale against the Orlando Pride, and she opened 2025 with her first regular season assist against the Kansas City Current. On loan with Carolina Ascent, she scored four goals in six starts, including the fastest goal in USL Super League history, and was named to the league’s September Team of the Month bench.
Other Wins and Performances
Mercado was named the 2017 Western Conference Player of the Year while playing youth soccer for San Diego Surf SC. She has represented the United States at U-14, U-15, U-17, and U-19 level, and was part of the U-19 squad that traveled to the 2020 La Manga Tournament.
Maddie Mercado Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Mercado comes from an athletic family based in San Diego, California. Both of her parents played tennis collegiately, and her mother went on to compete professionally. Her older brother, Michael Mercado, is a professional baseball pitcher who was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2017 MLB Draft and has played for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Personal Life
Mercado was born and raised in San Diego, California, and has continued to make the West Coast her base as a professional athlete. Her family ties to tennis and professional baseball have helped shape her competitive mindset and her understanding of high-level sport.
2025 Season Performance
Mercado’s 2025 campaign was split between Seattle Reign FC and a prolific loan spell at Carolina Ascent FC. With the Reign, she opened the year with her first regular season assist and starting appearance on March 25, contributed through the spring and summer, and signed a one-year extension through 2026 on August 20 before being loaned out.
At Carolina Ascent, Mercado delivered one of the most remarkable debut stretches in the USL Super League’s short history. She scored four goals in six starts, including the fastest goal in league history, earned a September Team of the Month bench selection, and was recalled by the Reign on October 8. Returning to Seattle, she started two of the club’s final three regular season matches and the first-round playoff match against the Orlando Pride on November 7.
Heading into 2026, Mercado’s form carried directly into the Reign’s season opener run, where she scored in back-to-back matches against Kansas City Current and Racing Louisville FC in late March, underscoring her growing role as a consistent attacking threat for Seattle.