Four Gotham FC Players Named to U.S. Roster for 2026 SheBelieves Cup
NWSL NJ/NY Gotham FC

Four Gotham FC Players Named to U.S. Roster for 2026 SheBelieves Cup

Published on February 17, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
NJ/NY Gotham FC News Release


JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Four Gotham FC players have been named to the 26-player U.S. Women's National Team roster for the 2026 SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa.

Defenders Lilly Reale and Emily Sonnett and midfielders Rose Lavelle and Jaedyn Shaw will represent the United States in the annual tournament, which will be played March 1, 4 and 7 across Nashville, Tenn., Columbus, Ohio and Harrison, N.J.

Gotham FC's four selections are the most of any NWSL club on the roster.

The quartet helped power Gotham FC to a historic 2025 campaign in which the club captured the NWSL Championship and Concacaf W Champions Cup before earning the bronze medal at the 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup in January. Gotham became just the fourth club in league history to win multiple NWSL titles and continued its run as one of the league's elite sides.

Lavelle (116 caps, 27 goals) and Sonnett (113 caps, 2 goals) are two of three players on the roster with more than 100 international appearances. Lavelle captured her first NWSL Championship in 2025, delivering the latest regulation game-winning goal in league final history to seal the title for Gotham. She finished with five goals and two assists during the regular season. To complete a banner 2025, she was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.

Sonnett anchored a Gotham defense that set a club record with 11 regular-season shutouts and conceded just 25 goals in 26 matches. An NWSL Second XI selection, she became the first player in club history to start all 26 matches in a season.

Shaw has earned 31 caps and scored nine goals for the United States. She tied a Gotham record with three goal contributions during the 2025 playoffs, including a stoppage-time free kick game-winner in the semifinal.

Reale (six caps) earned 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year and U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year honors following a standout first professional season. She appeared in all 26 regular-season matches and led Gotham in interceptions (36) while playing a key role in one of the league's top defenses.

The United States will open tournament play against Argentina on Sunday, March 1 at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tenn. (5 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV and HBO Max in English; Universo and Peacock in Spanish). The U.S. will then face Canada on March 4 in Columbus, Ohio (6:30 p.m. ET) before closing the tournament against Colombia on March 7 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J. (3:30 p.m. ET).

This year's tournament features an updated format in which matches tied at the end of regulation will go directly to penalty kicks, with an additional point awarded to the shootout winner.

Check out the NJ/NY Gotham FC Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from February 17, 2026


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