Ones to Watch: NWSL
Profiling the young stars to keep an eye on in FM26
The Cutback has partnered with Football Manager to deliver a series of articles that go deeper on the tactics and gameplay of the world’s leading football management simulation game ahead of Football Manager 26’s release.
This year, women’s football features in Football Manager for the very first time, so to get fans ready for a brand new experience, The Cutback has put together the ultimate insights on FM26. Find out about the secrets of building FM26, dive into the tactical details of all 12 WSL sides and hear about the next gen talent that will feature in the game.
Here, we’re highlighting some of the most exciting young talents in the NWSL. Football Manager is all about finding the next generation of stars who will power you to success in the game. We want to platform the young players fans may not already know about, so we’ve excluded some of the more established international players and instead focused on the emerging prospects you need to keep your eye on.
Olivia Moultrie
National team: USA
Age: 20
Position: Midfielder
Club: Portland Thorns FC
Olivia Moultrie signed with Portland at a very young age and made the step up to the senior environment as a teenager. After joining the Thorns’ setup she made her professional debut aged 15 and has progressively increased her involvement since, becoming a regular first-team member and a fixture in U.S. national teams. Her pathway from academy prospect to first-team contributor, including contract renewals and gradual integration into league and cup matches, underlines how the club views her as a long-term asset. This season she has started 23 out of 25 games, scoring 8 goals and producing 1 assist while creating 7 big chances.
On the pitch she reads like a classic creative number-10: technically clean on the ball with an eye for the through pass and the ability to operate between the lines. The strongest areas of her games are her first touch, her technique and her passing. Vision, decision-making and composure are all very developed, well beyond her years. Physical traits, like top-end pace and strength, are less prominent, while work rate and willingness to press add a useful defensive dimension to her profile. Overall she projects as an advanced playmaker / attacking midfielder with clear upside if given regular minutes and tactical responsibility, and her early involvement at senior national team’s level proves that.
Trinity Armstrong
National team: USA
Age: 18
Position: Central defender
Club: San Diego Wave FC
Trinity Armstrong is one of the youngest defenders in the NWSL at just 18 years old. She enjoyed a remarkable college career, even earning local honours before declaring for the professional game. Her resilience has been remarkable: only a year removed from a meniscus injury that nearly forced her to step away from football, she has worked her way back onto the pitch with confidence. In 2024 she scored her first professional goal dramatically, a 95th-minute header in the California derby against Bay FC, a moment that underlined both her mentality and her growing presence on the senior stage.
As a centre-back, Armstrong stands out for her jumping reach, heading, and strength, giving her dominance in aerial duels and set pieces. She combines that physical presence with positioning and anticipation, making her difficult to bypass in defensive situations. Her versatility is also a strength: she has experience playing in midfield roles, showing solid work rate and teamwork, which further improved her ability to step out of the back line with composure. While she continues to improve her decision-making under pressure and ball-playing abilities, her bravery and leadership qualities already shine through.
Kimmi Ascanio
National team: USA
Age: 17
Position: Midfielder/Winger
Club: San Diego Wave FC
San Diego Wave can count on another teenage prospect making waves in the NWSL: 17-year-old Kimmi Ascanio. A consistent presence with the U.S. youth national teams, she has already showcased her scoring ability at the international level, and she is starting to prove herself in the league as well. Contributing with 4 goals and 1 assist this season while featuring both in midfield and in wider roles. Beyond her numbers, coaches and teammates highlight her relentless attitude in training and her willingness to put in extra work, traits that set her apart at such a young age.
Due to her ability to play in multiple positions, Ascanio brings a dynamic and versatile profile. Her work rate, stamina, and determination set her apart, but she is more than that. Ascanio’s technique is absolutely developed for her age, especially her passing and first touch, enabling her to progress play through both short combinations and longer switches. Her finishing is becoming increasingly reliable, with strong goalscoring metrics and even aerial contributions thanks to her heading ability. Defensively, she is unusually effective for her position, showing solid tackling and anticipation in interceptions that make her a potential tactical weapon in pressing systems.
Emeri Adames
National team: USA
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder/Winger
Club: Seattle Reign FC
Emeri Adames made her professional debut for Seattle Reign at 18, quickly finding the net in her first season. By the end of that campaign, she had collected over 20 appearances, mostly from the bench, showing flashes of pace and directness that made her stand out as a long-term project for the club. Now 19, she has begun to earn more consistent minutes and is steadily increasing her goal contribution, confirming her status as one of the most exciting attacking prospects in the squad.
She is especially dangerous in transition and tends to thrive when given space on the wing or between the lines. Her pace, acceleration, and off the ball movement allow her to time runs in behind defenders, often catching them off guard. More scoring than passing oriented, Adames shows good finishing instincts, especially with her left foot, and is developing good composure in tight situations. While still learning consistency in decision-making under pressure and improving in offensive combinations, she already demonstrates strong confidence and flair. If she continues getting more minutes and starts, she has the profile to become a reliable attacking option for Reign and potentially for the US senior squads.
Jordyn Bugg
National team: USA
Age: 19
Position: Central defender
Club: Seattle Reign FC
Jordyn Bugg has emerged as one of the brightest young defenders in the NWSL, combining maturity and composure with impressive athleticism for her age. After making her debut in 2024 with six appearances within the season, the 18-year-old has taken a major leap forward in 2025, becoming a regular starter for Seattle Reign with 24 matches and two goals to her name. Already capped at youth level for the United States, she recently earned her first senior call-ups, featuring in friendly matches, a sign of how quickly her reputation is growing within the national setup.
Bugg stands out for her excellent positioning, showing strong anticipation and intelligent decision-making in defensive duels. Her tackling is clean and well-timed, backed by solid marking and concentration. Physically, she’s well-balanced, quick enough to recover space thanks to good acceleration and pace, yet strong and composed in aerial battles, with heading and jumping both key strengths. She also displays composure and decent technique in possession, comfortable playing out from the back with short, accurate passing. If there’s one area that still needs refinement, it’s her consistency when under sustained pressure and her ability to dictate tempo in build-up, but Bugg’s mix of intelligence, timing, and quiet authority makes her one of the most exciting young centre-backs in the league.
Gisele Thompson
National team: USA
Age: 19
Position: Full-back
Club: Angel City FC
A product of Angel City FC’s academy and the younger sister of US international Alyssa Thompson, Gisele Thompson has quickly carved out her own identity as one of the most promising young defenders in the NWSL. She made her professional debut at just 17 and has since grown into a reliable starter, starting 10 games out of her 15 appearances in 2024, and already doubling those numbers with 20 starts in 2025. Already a regular at youth international level, Thompson looks on track to break into the senior USWNT setup in the near future, her development marked by steady progress and increasing responsibility in Angel City’s back line.
Thompson is the definition of a modern full-back: good pace, technically secure, and relentlessly proactive. Her combination of acceleration, agility, and ball control allows her to progress play with confidence, while her dribbling and crossing add value in advanced areas. She defends with determination and aggression, showing good tackling technique and balance in one-on-one situations. Physically strong and hard-working, she’s capable of maintaining intensity throughout matches. There’s still room to grow in her concentration and defensive awareness, particularly in aerial duels and positional play, but her blend of pace, determination, and technical ability makes her one of the most exciting defensive talents in the league.
This is a paid partnership with Football Manager and The Cutback.