Mary Long Bio
Mary Angela Long (born January 24, 2007) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The daughter of Kansas City Current co-owners Angie and Chris Long, she joined the club after one season of college soccer with the Duke Blue Devils. She is also a United States youth international, having helped the U-17 team win bronze at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
Early Life and Background
Mary Angela Long grew up in Mission Hills, Kansas, one of four children in a family that would soon become deeply tied to women’s professional soccer. Her parents, Angie and Chris Long, raised her in the Kansas City area, where she began playing the sport at the age of three. From those earliest years, her talent was obvious to those around her, and she quickly rose through local and regional youth programs.
At twelve, Long traveled with a regional all-star team to an international youth tournament in France that coincided with the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The experience opened her eyes to the highest level of the women’s game and also sparked her parents’ interest in owning a women’s soccer team, an interest that later became the Kansas City Current. Long graduated one year early from Shawnee Mission East High School in Kansas in 2024, completing six additional online classes in her final semester to finish her studies ahead of schedule.
Path to Soccer
Long’s competitive path accelerated through the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), one of the top youth circuits in the United States. Playing up an age group, she scored the winning goal for KC Athletics in the under-15 ECNL national championship in 2021, an early signal of her finishing ability. She later joined California-based club Slammers FC HB Køge, where she helped the team reach the ECNL national final in 2023, leading the squad with six playoff goals and earning All-American honors.
Even while starring at the club level, Long trained as a non-roster invitee with the Kansas City Current in 2023 and 2024, learning the professional environment and building relationships inside her family’s club. Her performances with Slammers FC and the U.S. youth setup made her one of the most decorated young forwards in her age group heading into college.
Mary Long Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Long’s first major national title came in 2021 when her winning goal lifted KC Athletics to the ECNL under-15 national championship. The moment announced her as a difference-maker at the youth level and drew attention from top clubs and U.S. Soccer scouts. Over the next two seasons, she continued to develop her finishing, movement off the ball, and aerial play.
In 2023, she joined Slammers FC HB Køge and promptly helped the club reach the ECNL national final, posting a team-leading six goals during the playoffs. Her All-American selection that year confirmed her status as one of the top teenage forwards in the country, and she carried that momentum into her senior year of high school and her first college season.
Duke Blue Devils (2024)
Long played one season for the Duke Blue Devils as a 17-year-old freshman in 2024. She appeared in 15 matches, all as a substitute, and scored three goals while adjusting to the speed and physicality of the Atlantic Coast Conference. She helped Duke win the ACC regular-season title in the final season of head coach Robbie Church’s tenure.
Long missed roughly a month of college action while representing the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Back in the NCAA tournament, she delivered the opening assist in a 2–0 third-round win over Michigan State, helping Duke reach the College Cup semifinals, where the Blue Devils fell to North Carolina. Her lone college season cemented her as a future professional.
Kansas City Current Era (2025–Present)
The Kansas City Current announced on January 8, 2025, that they had signed Long to her first professional contract on a one-year deal. She made her professional debut on April 19, 2025, entering late as a substitute for Debinha in a 2–0 win over the Houston Dash. The appearance marked the start of her NWSL journey at the club co-owned by her parents.
In July 2025, Long scored her first professional goal against Brazilian side Corinthians in the Teal Rising Cup exhibition tournament. On September 26, she recorded her first NWSL assist, setting up MVP Temwa Chawinga in a 4–1 win over the Chicago Stars. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski handed Long her first NWSL start the following week in a 1–0 win over Angel City, and she closed her rookie season with ten league appearances and one start. Kansas City won the NWSL Shield with a record-setting regular season, though the Current were upset by Gotham FC in the quarterfinals. On December 4, 2025, Long signed a two-year contract extension keeping her at the club through 2027.
Playing Style and Strengths
Long is a versatile forward capable of playing as a central striker or an attacking midfielder. Her strengths include sharp movement in the penalty area, a clean finishing touch, and the composure to deliver in big moments, as she showed in the 2021 ECNL under-15 final and her debut professional goal against Corinthians. Working alongside veterans like Debinha and Temwa Chawinga, and under coach Vlatko Andonovski, she has continued to refine her hold-up play and pressing responsibilities.
Notable Events and Milestones
Long’s signature moment to date came at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, where she appeared in all six matches, started five, and scored once in a 5–0 group-stage win over South Korea, helping the United States finish third. Her bronze medal marked the best U.S. result at the tournament since 2008 and made her one of the breakout names of that cycle.
Mary Long Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Mary Angela Long is one of four children of Angie and Chris Long, who together co-own the Kansas City Current. Watching her play in a youth tournament in France during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup inspired her parents’ eventual purchase of the club, tying the family’s soccer story closely to its own. The family is based in Mission Hills, Kansas, where Long grew up and still resides.
Personal Life
Long balances her professional career with a relatively quiet personal life centered in the Kansas City area. She maintains an active presence on social media under her own name and is known for her close relationship with her three siblings. As of late 2025, she is unmarried and focused on her development with the Current and the U.S. youth national teams.
2025 Season Performance
Long’s rookie NWSL season with the Kansas City Current was one of steady integration into a record-setting squad. She debuted in April against the Houston Dash and went on to make ten league appearances, earning her first NWSL start against Angel City under head coach Vlatko Andonovski. She recorded her first professional goal in the Teal Rising Cup against Corinthians and her first NWSL assist against the Chicago Stars, contributing to a team that won the NWSL Shield with the best regular-season record in league history.
Although she was an unused substitute in the playoff quarterfinal upset against Gotham FC, Long’s growth across the year was clear. She signed a two-year contract extension on December 4, 2025, committing her future to the Current through the 2027 season. Internationally, she also debuted for the United States U-20 team at the 2025 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, scoring twice against Puerto Rico and adding a goal and an assist against Costa Rica.
Looking ahead, Long is positioned to take on a larger role within a deep Kansas City Current attack that features Temwa Chawinga, Debinha, and a strong supporting cast. With her contract secured through 2027 and a clear pathway into the senior U.S. national team pool, her 2025 rookie year is widely viewed as the foundation for a long professional career.