Rosella Ayane, Julia Grosso, Natalia Kuikka, Ludmila, Alyssa Naeher Sydney Schneider and Mallory Swanson Called Up for International Duty

Chicago Red Stars Rosella Ayane, Julia Grosso, Natalia Kuikka, Ludmila, Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Swanson, will all represent their respective countries during the October international window. Four Red Stars take to the international stage for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympic Games; gold medalists, Alyssa Naeher and forward Mallory Swanson, will represent the United States, while Brazilian silver medalist, Ludmila, and Canadian Olympian, Julia Grosso, will join their national teams as Red Stars for the first time. Rosella Ayane, the first Moroccan player in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), earns her inaugural call up as a Red Star while veteran star, Natalia Kuikka, returns to Finland’s roster.

Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher rejoins the USWNT after an impressive Olympic campaign, where the Red Stars captain became the first goalkeeper in women’s soccer history to keep a clean sheet in both a World Cup Final and an Olympic gold medal match. Across six matches in the Olympic tournament, Naeher recorded four clean sheets and made 64 saves while conceding just two goals. Following the Olympics, the generational keeper announced September 25 that she would return to the Red Stars for her 10th season in the net, re-signing with the club through 2025. With Chicago this season, Naeher has added multiple accolades to her storied career, including becoming the club leader in regular-season minutes as a Red Star October 4 and the first NWSL keeper to record 40 clean sheets with one club. Appearing in 22 matches for Chicago in 2024, Naeher has notched 69 saves and six shutouts.

Forward Mallory Swanson also had a remarkable Olympic run with Team USA, opening with a brace with goals just 70 seconds apart in the United States’ first match against Zambia July 25. The Colorado native closed the tournament scoring the gold medal-winning goal during her 100th cap against Brazil August 10, finishing with appearances in all six matches and leading the team with four total goals. Swanson also joined the century club with the Red Stars this season, recording her 100th regular-season appearance September 29. Swanson is Chicago’s leading goal scorer in 2024, finding the back of the net seven times in addition to her team-high four assists. Naeher, Swanson and the USWNT will play three friendlies in the October international window, taking on Iceland October 24 and 27 before facing Argentina October 30 in Austin, Texas, Nashville, Tennessee, and Louisville, Kentucky, respectively.

Ludmila returns to Brazil’s roster for the first time since winning silver at the Olympics. The forward announced her signing with Red Stars during the tournament, July 29, going onto play new teammates Naeher and Swanson in the gold medal match. Ludmila appeared in every one of Brazil’s six matches in the Olympics, assisting one goal July 28 and registering nine shots throughout the tournament. Since debuting for the Red Stars September 8, Ludmila has earned minutes in all six matches, scoring a goal in three-straight matches between September 21-October 4. Ludmila and Brazil will host Colombia in a pair of friendlies October 26 and 29.

Olympian Julia Grosso heads to Spain with the Canadian Women’s National Team (CANWNT) ahead of a friendly against the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions October 25. Grosso is another call-up representing Chicago on the international stage for the first time following her signing announcement with the Red Stars July 8, one week after being named to Team Canada. In the Olympics, the midfielder appeared in two of Canada’s three group stage matches and took the pitch for 12 minutes in the August 3 quarterfinal match that ultimately saw Canada eliminated after falling in a penalty shootout. Grosso played a full 90 minutes in her August 24 debut for Chicago, earning a Starting XI slot in all eight matches for the Red Stars. A key addition to Chicago’s midfield, Grosso has yet to record a passing accuracy below 77.5 percent.

Attacker Rosella Ayane, on loan to the Red Stars from Tottenham Hotspur FC of the Women’s Super League, has been tabbed to Morocco’s roster. The first Moroccan player in the NWSL will represent club and country in two friendlies, first against Tanzania October 25, then battling Senegal October 29. While Ayane has yet to make her Red Stars debut, she is no stranger to international duty, earning her first cap for Morocco in 2021. After helping the Moroccan Lionesses become the first Arab country to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Ayane was named to the subsequent World Cup roster. Ayane tallied four appearances and one start as part of the historic Moroccan side that was ultimately eliminated in the round of 16.

Finnish defender Natalia Kuikka and the national team are set to take on Montenegro October 25 and 29 in the playoff rounds of the 2025 UEFA Women’s European Championship qualifying tournament. The five-time Finnish Female Footballer of the Year most recently helped Finland advance to the playoff rounds in group stage matches against Norway July 12 and Italy July 16. Kuikka has been a key component to Chicago’s back line this season, starting in 23 of the Red Stars 24 matches and recording an assist September 1. Additionally, the experienced league veteran currently ranks second in the NWSL in clearances (138) and fourth in blocks (23).

Goalkeeper Sydney Schneider joins Jamaica for the second time this year after receiving a call up to the national team in June. Schneider has 13 appearances with Jamaica and 11 starts, and was featured on two World Cup rosters for the Reggae Girlz. In Schneider’s first world cup with Jamaica, the then 19-year-old keeper was tasked with the start for their match against the always dangerous Brazil side. In that match, Schneider was forced to defend a penalty attempt awarded to Brazil in the 37th minute, which the New Jersey native did with seeming ease. Schneider and the Reggae Girlz will take on France Friday, October 25, in a friendly match at Stade Auguste Bonal in France. 

The Chicago Red Stars next take on the Washington Spirit at 4:00 p.m. CT at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. October 20. Following the end of the international window October 30, Ayane, Grosso, Kuikka, Ludmila, Naeher and Swanson will return to Chicago ahead of the Red Stars’ regular-season finale November 3. Before the club hits the road for playoffs, the Chicago Red Stars will host the Kansas City Current at 2:00 p.m. CT November 3 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. Tickets to Chicago’s She Inspires Me match, presented by RUSH Hospital, can be purchased at chicagoredstars.com/tickets.