Megan Reid
Megan Elizbeth Reid (born July 9, 1996) is an American-born Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a center back for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Canada women's national team.[1][2] Born in Orinda, California, Reid grew up in the same area and attended Miramonte High School before playing college soccer at the University of Virginia from 2014 to 2017, where she appeared in 83 matches, started 66, and recorded two goals and 15 assists.[1][3] In her senior year, she earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors and scored a golden goal in a 2–1 upset victory over then-No. 2 West Virginia.[4][5] Following graduation, Reid set aside soccer to work as an emergency medical technician and firefighter in California from 2017 to 2018, while also coaching youth players at Lamorinda United in the Women's Premier Soccer League.[4][5] She returned to the sport in 2022 after attending an open tryout and impressing during Angel City FC's preseason as a non-roster invitee, leading to her signing via trade; she re-signed with the club through the 2025 season.[4][6] In her debut professional campaign, Reid played every minute of Angel City's 22 regular-season matches, earning the team's inaugural "Iron Woman" designation for her durability.[4] As of November 2025, she has made 80 appearances for Angel City across all competitions.[2][7] Eligible for Canada through her mother, who was born in Ottawa, Reid obtained Canadian citizenship in 2023 and was called into national team camp ahead of the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup.[5] She earned her first senior international cap on December 3, 2024, and has since accumulated three appearances, one goal, and one assist for the Canada women's national team as of late 2025.[1] Standing at 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm), Reid is known for her versatility in defense and leadership on the pitch, continuing to balance her athletic career with emergency services certification.[1][2]Early life and college career
Early life
Megan Reid was born on July 9, 1996, in Orinda, California, to an American father, George Reid, and a Canadian mother.[5][8] Her mother, who passed away when Reid was seven years old, was born in Ottawa and raised in Deep River, Ontario, and Toronto before relocating to the United States, which granted Reid Canadian heritage and eligibility for dual citizenship.[9][10] Reid's father, who died unexpectedly in 2016, played a significant role in fostering her early interest in emergency services through family discussions about careers in firefighting and emergency medical response.[11][5] Raised in the close-knit community of Orinda, Reid attended Miramonte High School, where she balanced academics with athletics.[12] Her upbringing emphasized sports as a family bonding activity, particularly with her father, who coached her early teams and encouraged her participation in multiple disciplines.[13] Reid's introduction to soccer came at a young age through local club play with Lamorinda Soccer Club, where she developed her skills alongside basketball and other activities during her youth and high school years.[3][14] By her senior year at Miramonte, she had committed to pursuing soccer more seriously, signing to play at the University of Virginia.[15]College career
Reid enrolled at the University of Virginia in 2014, where she played for the Virginia Cavaliers women's soccer team from 2014 to 2017 while majoring in Foreign Affairs.[16] During her four seasons, she demonstrated academic excellence, earning spots on the ACC Academic Honor Roll in 2014 and 2015, the ACC Women's Soccer All-Academic Team in 2017, and the CoSIDA Academic All-Region First Team in 2017.[17][3] On the field, Reid appeared in 83 matches, starting 66, and recorded 2 goals and 15 assists as a defender and forward.[3] As a freshman in 2014, she started 18 of 24 games, scoring her first collegiate goal—a 50-yard volley against Old Dominion—and providing 4 assists, including two on game-winning goals, while contributing to the Cavaliers' NCAA runner-up finish.[3] In 2015, she helped the team secure the ACC regular-season championship with a 9-1 conference mark (20-1-4 overall), appearing in 16 matches with 7 starts and 2 assists.[18] Her junior year in 2016 saw her start 20 of 22 games for 1,509 minutes and add 5 assists to the Cavaliers' 16-5-3 campaign.[3] As a senior captain in 2017, Reid started all 21 matches for a team-high 1,824 minutes, scoring 1 goal—including a golden goal against No. 2 West Virginia—and tallying 4 assists, such as on game-winning goals versus Miami and Louisville, en route to a 13-6-4 overall record and 5-2-3 ACC finish.[3] Her defensive contributions were pivotal in key ACC competitions across her career. Reid's senior-season performances earned her selection to the All-ACC Second Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second Team.[3]Club career
Pre-professional years
Following her graduation from the University of Virginia in 2017, Megan Reid chose to step away from competitive soccer, having lost her passion for the sport after her father's death going into her senior year. Influenced by conversations with her father, George, about a career in firefighting and emergency medical services, she shifted focus to this field, seeking a path centered on service and community impact.[5][9][13] Reid began her training immediately after graduation, completing basic firefighting courses and earning her Firefighter 1 certification in spring 2017, followed by Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification as a rookie that same year. She gained initial experience working as an emergency department technician at hospitals in San Francisco and Walnut Creek from 2018 onward, while pursuing further paramedic training over the next two years. By August 2021, she had obtained her paramedic license and transitioned to the Sonoma Valley Fire Department, where she served as a firefighter and paramedic from approximately 2019 to 2021, including an internship period starting in early 2020.[19][13][9] During her time at the Sonoma Valley Fire Department, Reid maintained a casual connection to soccer by playing futsal and pickup games with colleagues during breaks in the firehouse, drawing on the skills honed during her college career at Virginia. These informal sessions, often organized by her soccer-enthusiast captain, helped her rediscover joy in the sport amid the demands of 48-hour shifts. In 2021, she played seven matches for Lamorinda United in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL).[19][5][9][20] This period brought internal conflict for Reid, as her fulfillment in emergency services clashed with a growing openness to soccer's return, prompted by encouragement from friends and a local youth coach in 2021. By early 2022, this tension led her to accept a trial opportunity, marking the beginning of her professional comeback.[19][13][5]Angel City FC
Megan Reid joined Angel City FC as a non-roster invitee following a successful preseason trial in 2022, where she impressed the coaching staff with her defensive prowess after a hiatus from professional soccer to pursue a career as an emergency medical technician.[6][20] She made her professional debut on April 17, 2022, in a 2–1 loss to OL Reign FC.[20] As a center back, Reid quickly established herself as a reliable starter, playing every minute of the club's inaugural NWSL season with 22 appearances, earning her the nickname "Iron Woman" for her endurance and consistency.[21][22] Throughout her tenure, Reid contributed to Angel City's defensive stability in NWSL matches, logging a total of 72 appearances.[7] In 2023, she made 9 appearances with 8 starts while battling an injury, maintaining her role in the backline amid team rotations.[7] Her performance led to a one-year contract extension announced on December 7, 2022, ahead of the 2023 season.[23] By 2024, Reid had solidified her status with 23 appearances and 19 starts, including scoring her first professional goal on August 18, 2024, in a 7–0 victory over FC Juárez during a friendly match.[24][24] This season also saw her contract extended through 2025, announced on January 5, 2024.[25] Reid continued to feature regularly in 2025, appearing in 18 matches with 9 starts before the end of the season.[7] On November 11, 2025, Angel City FC announced that Reid would not be retained, as her contract expired, making her a free agent alongside several teammates as part of the club's end-of-season roster updates.[26] Her overall contributions helped anchor the defense across four seasons, providing consistency in a competitive league environment.[25]International career
National team debut
Megan Reid, a defender for Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), became eligible to represent Canada through her maternal Canadian citizenship, as her mother was born in Ottawa, Ontario.[27][28] Reid received her initial call-up to the Canada women's national team in late 2024, specifically on November 21, when Canada Soccer announced the roster for upcoming friendlies against Iceland and South Korea, following her strong performances with Angel City FC that season.[29][30] This marked her first senior international opportunity, coming after she had previously trained with the team ahead of the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup but without earning a cap.[31] Reid made her national team debut on December 3, 2024, starting as a center back in a friendly match against South Korea in Murcia, Spain, under interim head coach Cindy Tye.[27][28][32] At age 28, her appearance represented a late breakthrough to the international stage, joining the squad in the aftermath of Canada's participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics.[27][32] In her first cap, Reid partnered with veteran Vanessa Gilles in central defense and delivered a solid performance, contributing to Canada's defensive stability by helping repel South Korea's attacking efforts during her 45 minutes on the pitch before being substituted at halftime.[32][33] Tye praised her composure and strength, noting that she adjusted well to the international level in her debut outing.[33]Subsequent appearances
Following her national team debut in December 2024, Megan Reid earned two additional caps for Canada in the 2025 Pinatar Cup, bringing her total to three appearances as of November 2025.[34][1] Reid featured as a starting center back alongside Vanessa Gilles in Canada's 2-0 victory over Mexico on February 22, 2025, securing her second international cap during the tournament's opening match.[35] Three days later, on February 25, 2025, she started again in the final group stage match against Chinese Taipei, contributing defensively, providing an assist, and scoring her first international goal in a 7-0 win that clinched the Pinatar Cup title for Canada.[36][37][1] Her performances in the tournament highlighted her role in bolstering Canada's defensive solidity, helping the team maintain clean sheets across both matches and secure the championship without conceding a goal.[38] Despite limited opportunities due to the national team's depth, Reid's consistent starts as a center back demonstrated her reliability in the backline.[35] As of November 2025, Reid remains committed to representing Canada internationally, even amid uncertainty following her departure from Angel City FC at the end of the 2025 season.[39]Career statistics
Club
Megan Reid has played as a center back for Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) since 2022.[7] The following table summarizes her NWSL regular season statistics by season.| Season | Club | Appearances | Starts | Substitutions | Goals | Assists | Minutes played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Angel City FC | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1,980 |
| 2023 | Angel City FC | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 794 |
| 2024 | Angel City FC | 23 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1,797 |
| 2025 | Angel City FC | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 896 |
| Total | Angel City FC | 72 | 58 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 5,467 |
International
Reid has represented the Canada women's national team in three international "A" matches between 2024 and 2025, accumulating 3 caps, all as starts, with 1 goal and 1 assist.[1][34] As a center back, her appearances have primarily come in friendly and tournament fixtures, contributing to Canada's defensive solidity in these outings.[1] No further caps were recorded through November 2025.[34] The following table summarizes her match appearances:| Date | Opponent | Competition | Result | Caps | Starts | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-03 | South Korea | Friendly | 5–1 W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025-02-22 | Mexico | Pinatar Cup | 2–0 W | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025-02-25 | Chinese Taipei | Pinatar Cup | 7–0 W | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025-02-25 | Chinese Taipei | 5–0 | 7–0 W | Pinatar Cup |