Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
When Sofia Cantore joined America’s National Women’s Soccer League, little did she know she was stepping over a threshold that had never been crossed before.
Before the age of 26, Italian soccer star Sofia Cantore compiled an impressive resume in her native land. At just 17, she signed with Juventus, considered the top club in Italy’s top women’s soccer league, and appeared in over 120 league matches, tallying more than 40 goals and 20 assists in the process.
At the international level, Cantore is a Team Italy mainstay. She scored five goals for Le Azzurre in fewer than 50 games and last year started every match for her country in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Championship.
So it comes as no surprise that she would get opportunities to play in America’s National Women’s Soccer League, considered by many to be the most competitive women’s soccer league on the planet. In June, Cantore signed a three-year deal with the Washington Spirit that includes a fourth-year option.
What was a surprise is that in doing so she became the first Italian player in the league’s history.
“I didn’t know that I was the first, they told me the news after,” Cantore says. “For me, it’s a pleasure because I think this league is amazing.”
The last time an Italian player competed in a U.S. women’s professional league was in 2010, when forward Patrizia Panico played for the previous iteration of NJ/NY Gotham FC in the now-defunct Women’s Professional Soccer league.
Cantore has played well since signing with the Spirit. At press time, she’s scored 5 goals in just 14 total matches, including one in a match in late September that clinched a spot for the club in the NWSL playoffs.
Cantore acknowledged that the level of play in the NWSL is higher than back home.
“The biggest difference is that here all the players are extremely physical and athletic. I’m a striker, I’m fast but here the defender is also fast,” Cantore says. “So I have to try to find a solution to be more effective.”
Also in September, Cantore finished 24th in voting for the Ballon d’Or Féminin, an award recognizing the best women’s soccer player in the world each year. It was the first time she’d been nominated for the honor, which for the third year in a row went to superstar Aitana Bonmati of Spain.
“It’s crazy to be among all of those names, the most important soccer players in the world,” Cantore says. “I didn’t expect to be a part of this but I’m happy. And now it’ll be something that makes me want to improve more.”
Cantore, who was born in the small city of Lecco in northern Italy, says she always imagined that her career would involve an experience in the U.S.
“I’m a curious person and wanted to know a new culture and a new people,” Cantore says. “I had this opportunity to mix soccer with the experience of life.”
Cantore says she’s still settling in but so far she’s enjoyed the experience. One perk of signing with the Washington-based club is that it has given her an opportunity to spend more time with her older brother, who is a biologist in the D.C. area.
Cantore has noticed a major difference in the cultural dynamics of America and Italy.
“In Italy, we are a little country so there are not so many differences,” Cantore says. “I think people growing up here, they can be more open and more comfortable in every situation.”
Cantore recommends other athletes travel and play outside of their home country.
“I think that every time you make a change, go out of your comfort zone, you can grow up,” Cantore says. “I suggest to young people to make this step because it is something that can make you grow up a lot.”
The above article appears in the January 2026 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture.
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