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NWSL Chicago Stars FC

Three Chicago Stars Tabbed for International Duty

February 14, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Chicago Stars FC News Release


CHICAGO - Chicago Stars Julia Grosso, Natalia Kuikka and Ludmila will join their respective countries for the February international window. 2025 UEFA Nations League play will see Kuikka represent Finland, while Grosso and Canada compete in the 2025 Pinatar Cup in Spain and Ludmila joins Brazil for their first camp of 2025.

Julia Grosso rejoins Canada for the first time in 2025 for the inaugural matches of new head coach Casey Stoney's tenure with the Canadian Women's National Team (CANWNT). 2024 saw Grosso take the pitch 11 times for the CANWNT, with three starts and 425 minutes recorded, including one start and three appearances in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Canada will now head to Spain for the 2025 Pinatar Cup, taking on China February 19, Mexico February 22 and Chinese Taipei February 25 in semifinals round action.

Five-time Finnish Women's Footballer of the Year, Natalia Kuikka, will compete in their first matches in the league stage of the 2025 UEFA Nations League. After signing with Chicago Stars FC in January 2024, Kuikka recorded a successful year on the international stage with the Helmarit, concluding the year with a goal-line clearance and a goal December 3 that advanced Finland over Scotland on aggregate. Ending the match with a 2-0 aggregate and scoreline, Finland qualified for the 2025 UEFA Women's European Championship, set to be held in July. February will see Kuikka and Finland take on Serbia February 21, then Hungary February 25 in League B action.

Ludmila heads to a training camp at Granja Comary football complex in Teresópolis, Brazil, with the Brazilian women's national team for the February window. Brazil will not participate in any friendly matches in February, focusing on preparations for the team's friendlies against the United States slated for April 2025. 2024 saw Ludmila appear in all matches and play an integral role in Brazil winning a silver medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Brazilian signed with the Stars during the tournament, going on to feature in seven matches and becoming the eighth Chicago Star in club history to score a goal in three consecutive matches.

After the international window closes February 26, Grosso, Kuikka and Ludmila will return to preseason training with the Chicago Stars. The club has a series of closed-door scrimmages scheduled against fellow NWSL clubs February 25-March 8 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, before the Stars finish the preseason in Chicago ahead of the start of the NWSL regular season. Chicago Stars FC will play the inaugural 2025 NWSL regular-season match against the Orlando Pride March 14, kicking off at 7 p.m. CT at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The match will be streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video.

The Chicago Stars will return to the Windy City to host the club's home opener against the Houston Dash March 23, presented by United Airlines. The match kicks off at 2 p.m. CT at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, and also available nationally on Paramount+ and NWSL+. Fans can find tickets to all Chicago Stars home matches, including the club's home opener, presented by United Airlines, and secure season ticket memberships by visiting chicagostars.com/tickets. The full Chicago Stars FC schedule, along with national broadcast information, can be found at chicagostars.com/schedule.

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