Talia Sommer is set to make Israeli sports history, becoming the first Israeli soccer player ever to join the National Women’s Soccer League after signing with reigning champion Gotham FC.
For the 21-year-old midfielder from Tel Aviv, the moment marks the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
“I’m fulfilling a huge dream today, and the excitement is overwhelming,” she said shortly after the signing was announced. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of playing on the biggest stage in the world, and today that dream is coming true. I’m proud to be the first Israeli chosen to play in the best league in the world, and I promise that every time I step onto the field, I will represent not only myself and my family, but also the country and the flag I hold so dear.”
Sommer’s rise has been swift, steady, and remarkable. She began playing at four years old and spent her early childhood competing with the boys’ team at Maccabi Tel Aviv. When her family relocated to New York, she joined the Manhattan Soccer Club, and by age 14 she was back in Israel joining ASA Tel Aviv in the Women’s Premier League. Two years later she made her debut for the Israeli senior national team, displaying a level of maturity and skill that immediately stood out.
Former Israel national team captain Oshrat Eini recalls seeing that potential from the very start.
“Talia is one of the most talented players to have grown up in Israel, and we saw it from the moment she stepped onto the pitch in the Women’s Premier League – at just 14,” Eini said.
She described Sommer as “extraordinarily skilled and intelligent, hardworking and determined, with incredible ball control and rare vision.”
National soccer milestone for Israel
For Eini, Sommer’s move to the NWSL isn’t just a personal milestone but a national one.
“Her joining the NWSL is an achievement we’ve never experienced from an Israeli athlete in a team sport,” she said.
“This is enormous pride for Talia, for her family, and for the entire Israeli football community. We have a blue-and-white player on the champion team of the best league in the world.”
Sommer’s achievements extend beyond the pitch. At 18 she earned elite-athlete status in the IDF and simultaneously began playing NCAA Division I soccer for Butler University, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and computer science while continuing her rapid development as a midfielder.
Now, she joins a Gotham FC roster stacked with global stars, including Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Ann-Katrin Berger and Bruninha, placing an Israeli soccer star in a spotlight never before reached in the women’s game.
Sommer will begin training with her new club in January, and the NWSL season kicks off on March 26. Before then, she will join Gotham in London for the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions tournament, where the team will face top clubs from around the world, including Arsenal – the first step in what promises to be a defining new chapter for one of Israel’s brightest soccer talents.