Former Penn State women’s soccer star goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher ranked No. 17 in the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

Over the last year, Naeher helped lead the United States Olympic women’s soccer team to a gold medal in Paris. She started all six games. She also took home the SheBelieves Cup with the national team.

Naeher served as Penn State’s shot-stopper from 2006-09, winning a plethora of awards in her time. Naeher collected First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2007 and 2008, along with Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. In her time as a Nittany Lion, Naeher played 74 games and racked up 301 saves and 24 shutouts. Her overall record between the sticks was 50-19-5.

Naeher won the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019, playing every minute of the 2019 campaign in France. At the club level, Naeher has started 23 games this season for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), collecting 79 saves thus far. She plays in the Red Stars’ regular season finale on Sunday, November 3, against the Kansas City Current in hopes of earning a playoff spot.