Meghan Klingenberg

Meghan Elizabeth Klingenberg (born August 2, 1988) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a left back. She made 75 appearances and scored 3 goals for the United States national team, winning the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels, winning two national championships (2008 and 2009). After playing in the last season of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), she joined Damallsvenskan champions Tyresö FF in Sweden in 2012. In 2014, she joined National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team Houston Dash, before moving to the Portland Thorns in 2016. She made over 150 appearances for the Thorns over nine seasons as she won two NWSL Championships and two NWSL Shields and was twice named in the NWSL Second XI.

Early life Klingenberg was born in Pittsburgh and raised in the North Hills suburb of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. She has a younger brother named Drew who played college soccer at Penn State. She attended Pine-Richland High School from 2003 to 2007 and was the captain of the girls soccer team. In 2005, she helped lead Pine-Richland to the Pennsylvania state high school championship and was an NSCAA All-America selection. She was also named a Parade All-American.

Klingenberg claims she enhanced her soccer skills by practicing Taekwondo, and that the martial art made her a more aggressive player. She is now a black belt.

University of North Carolina Klingenberg attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a four-year starter for the Tar Heels. She scored 18 career goals with 24 assists. Klingenberg was a highly flexible player, playing on all three lines for UNC.

As a freshman in 2007, she played in 24 games, starting 10, and earned Freshman All-ACC honors. She scored five goals with three assists and was a Soccer America First-Team All-Freshman selection. Klingenberg led UNC freshmen in all offensive categories and was an All-ACC Academic Team selection.

Club career

WPS, 2011 In 2011, Klingenberg was selected by the Washington Freedom in the first round of the WPS draft. After the team was moved to Florida and renamed magicJack, she was traded in early June to the Boston Breakers. Klingenberg played 10 matches for Boston, starting them all and totaling 961 minutes for the season. She ended the season with one goal and two assists. During her time with Tyresö she won the 2012 Damallsvenskan. She finished UEFA Women's Champions League with Tyresӧ FF, before joining the Dash mid-season. She left in October 2015 after making nineteen appearances for the club.

Portland Thorns, 2016–2024

In October 2015, Klingenberg was part of a pingpong trade that had her join the Seattle Reign as she was traded by Houston Dash for Amber Brooks and a conditional selection in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, then traded to the NWSL 2016 expansion team Orlando, who then traded her to the Portland Thorns FC for Alex Morgan and other considerations.

Kilngenberg was a regular starter for the Thorns during a period of sustained success. The team won the 2016 and 2021 NWSL Shields, the 2017 and 2022 NWSL Championships, the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, the 2021 Women's International Champions Cup, and the 2020 Fall Series, played instead of the regular season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Klingenberg also became a team leader, known for her fiery pregame speeches.

On December 30, 2024, Klingenberg announced that she had departed the club, and on June 18, 2025 she announced her retirement.

On July 28, 2026, the Thorns announced that Klingenberg would be recognized for her service to both the Thorns and USWNT in a pre-match ceremony at their stadium, Providence Park.

International career

Klingenberg played for the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) at the U-16, U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels. She received her first call-up to the senior squad for the 2011 Four Nations Tournament and earned her first two caps during the event. She was named an alternate for the 2012 Summer Olympics. In March 2013, she was named to the senior team roster by USWNT coach, Tom Sermanni, for upcoming exhibition matches against Germany and the Netherlands. Klingenberg made her debut for senior team on January 23, 2011, at the Four Nations Tournament against Canada, coming in as a substitute at seventy-eighth minute. She also played in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, starting every match and helping the team win the tournament. In part because of her performance there, she was named to the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2015.

In 2018, Klingenberg participated in negotiating image and likeness rights for the United States women's national team for the U.S. Women's National Team Players Association.

Klingenberg is in a relationship with former YouTuber and influencer Ingrid Nilsen. The couple live in Brooklyn New York and frequently post on social media together

In popular culture Klingenberg was featured with her national teammates in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series in FIFA 16, the first time women players were included in the game. She appeared in the series again in FIFA 23, which added NWSL teams to the game.

Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Klingenberg and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City. Each player received a key to the city from Mayor Bill de Blasio. In October of the same year, the team was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.

Career statistics Club updated|As of September 3, 2024|.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |magicJack 2011

|Boston Breakers 2011

2012 WPSL

2012

2013

2014

32!!2!!5!!0!!1!!0!!38!!2

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023 21 0

5 0 26 0 2024 11 0

11 0

218!!5!!5!!0!!25!!0!!248!!5

International Scores and results list United States's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Klingenberg goal.

Honors updated|May 18, 2023|. NWSL Community Shield: 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup: 2021 International Champions Cup: 2021

United States CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2014 Algarve Cup: 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016 SheBelieves Cup: 2016

Individual NWSL Second XI: 2017, 2021 FIFPro: FIFA FIFPro World XI 2015