Sofia Huerta, born on December 14, 1992, is an American soccer player known for playing as a dynamic forward and midfielder. She holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico. Huerta played soccer, basketball, and track at Centennial High School before earning a soccer scholarship to Santa Clara University, where she received All-West Coast Conference honors each of her four years and a communications degree in 2015. Huerta's unique international career includes playing for both Mexico and the United States women’s national teams. She played for Mexico at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scoring three goals. In 2017, she debuted with the U.S. team, later contributing to SheBelieves Cup titles in 2022 and 2023 and was named to the 2023 World Cup team.

What sport does Sofia Huerta play?

Sofia Huerta is an American football (soccer) player known for her abilities as both a forward and midfielder. Throughout her career, she has played for both the Mexican and United States women's national teams. Huerta's club career includes playing for the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, and OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She has also had stints in Australia's W-League, playing for Adelaide United and Sydney FC, winning a league championship with Sydney FC in 2018–19.

What position does Sofia Huerta play on the field?

Sofia Huerta is known for her versatility as both a forward and midfielder in soccer. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated her abilities in scoring and playmaking. Huerta has played for the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, and OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She has also had stints in Australia's W-League with Adelaide United and Sydney FC, winning a league championship with the latter in 2018–19. Additionally, she has played for both the Mexican and United States women’s national teams, showcasing her adaptability on the international stage.

Has Sofia Huerta played for any national teams? If so, which ones?

Sofia Huerta has played for the women’s national teams of both Mexico and the United States. She played for Mexico at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, scoring three goals, and later played in friendly matches for Mexico’s senior national team, including one against the United States in September 2013. Huerta later announced that she would no longer play for Mexico, with hopes of joining the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT). After FIFA approved a one-time change of national association, she debuted with the U.S. team in a friendly match against New Zealand on September 15, 2017. She was named to the U.S. national team participating in the 2023 World Cup.

How has Sofia Huerta’s career impacted women's soccer in the United States?

Sofia Huerta 's career has significantly impacted women's soccer in the United States through her playmaking abilities as a forward and midfielder. Huerta's unique international career, playing for both Mexico and the United States women’s national teams, highlights the complexities and opportunities in international soccer eligibility. After playing for Mexico's youth and senior teams, she switched to the U.S. team in 2017, becoming the first player to have played for and against the U.S. women’s team. In the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Huerta has been a key player for teams like the Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, and OL Reign, helping her teams secure titles and contributing as a leading scorer and playmaker. Her success in the NWSL and her participation in the 2023 World Cup have further inspired young female athletes in the U.S.

Sofia Huerta

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In full:: Sofia Christine Huerta

Born:: December 14, 1992, Boise, Idaho, U.S. (age 33)

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Sofia Huerta

American football (soccer) player

Also known as: Sofia Christine Huerta

Written by

Sherman Hollar

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History

Early life

Huerta, who grew up in Boise, Idaho, holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico. Her mother, Jody (née Jensen) Huerta, was born in the United States, and her father, Mauricio Huerta, is a native of Mexico; the couple met while attending the University of Wisconsin. Growing up, Sofia Huerta excelled at sports, and while at Centennial High School in Boise, she played soccer and basketball and ran track. She later earned a scholarship to play soccer at Santa Clara University in California. She was named first-team All-West Coast Conference in each of her four years at Santa Clara and third-team All-American in her junior and senior seasons. Huerta graduated in 2015 with a degree in communications.

Club play

In 2015 Huerta joined the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the highest level of professional women’s soccer in the United States. During her three full seasons with Chicago (2015–17), the Red Stars made the playoffs every year. Huerta emerged as one of the team’s leading goal scorers. Between the 2016 and 2017 seasons she was loaned to Adelaide United of Australia’s top-level W-League, and she played in 12 matches with the team, scoring eight goals.

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Midway through the 2018 NWSL season, the Chicago Red Stars traded Huerta to the Houston Dash. She was quickly installed as a starter for Houston and finished that season ranked seventh in the league in goals and fourth in assists. While continuing her career in the NWSL, Huerta had further stints in the W-League as a player on loan. She started for Sydney FC when it won the league championship in 2018–19, and she returned to Sydney the following season. In February 2020 the Houston Dash traded Huerta to the OL Reign. She led the NWSL with six assists in 2021. The next year she helped the OL Reign secure the NWSL Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record.

International career

Huerta was invited to play for Mexico at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. During that tournament, which took place in Japan, Huerta scored three goals. She went on to play for Mexico’s senior national team in a number of friendly matches (nontournament games), including a match against the United States in September 2013. The following year Huerta announced that she would no longer play for Mexico, hoping to land a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT).

The risky move paid off in 2017, when Jill Ellis, head coach of the USWNT, expressed an interest in having Huerta join the squad. Because Huerta had previously competed for Mexico, however, she was not immediately eligible to play for the United States. The U.S. Soccer Federation, the national governing body for the sport, first had to file a request asking FIFA to grant Huerta a one-time change of national association. The request was approved on September 14, 2017, and the following day Huerta made her debut with the U.S. team in a friendly match against New Zealand. In that match Huerta made a 79th-minute assist to Alex Morgan, whose goal capped a 3–1 victory for the United States. With her appearance in the match, Huerta became the first soccer player ever to have played for and against the senior U.S. women’s team. Huerta later played for the USWNT in the 2018 SheBelieves Cup tournament, helping the team secure a 1–0 victory over England in the title match. However, she was not selected for the U.S. national team competing in the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Despite that setback, Huerta played for the United States again when it won additional SheBelieves Cup titles in 2022 and 2023. Then, in June 2023, she was named as a member of the U.S. national team participating in that year’s World Cup. Huerta made her World Cup debut in the USWNT’s opening match in July, and the United States defeated Vietnam, 3–0.

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