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From Notre Dame to PSG, Eva Gaetino Is Ready for Her USWNT Breakthrough

The defender is getting ready to represent her country for a second time after being named in Emma Hayes's squad for their upcoming friendlies.

Megan Humphrey

Eva Gaetino has impressed since joining French club PSG
Eva Gaetino has impressed since joining French club PSG / Craig Mitchelldyer-Imagn Images

You could say that Eva Gaetino’s start to professional football has been somewhat of a dream. 

The defender hit headlines after scoring in her debut for French club Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Women’s Champions League last year, becoming the youngest U.S. player to score in the tournament’s knockout rounds at 21 years old.

Gaetino first made a name for herself playing college soccer for Notre Dame, before deciding to ditch the NWSL draft for Europe, and it’s fair to say the gamble has certainly paid off.

After finally getting a moment to catch her breath on a warm summer evening at PSG’s state-of-the-art training facility, she reminisced on the progress she’s made since moving from across the pond. 

“I learned a lot playing in college, but the level here is far superior in terms of the pace and technical side,” she exclusively says. “I have a lot of appreciation for my experience, but here it’s a whole new world of soccer which is amazing because I feel like I’m learning so much and I get to grow.”

Gaetino gained international exprience playing for her country with the USWNT U-23s, but last year her performance was enough to secure her first senior team call-up for the SheBelieves Cup. 

“It was hard because I would see teammates coming back and hear how amazing their experiences were and I just knew how badly I wanted it,” she says. 

“I remember that the call came just after my first Champions League game after I’d scored and it was peak happiness. My experience with the U.S. has given me the opportunity to really focus on what I want for myself. Coming in as a rookie, I just have a team-first mentality. 

“Being in that environment and seeing what my ceiling is and where I can go has lit a fire under me and really encouraged me to work on myself, be selfish with my time and really dig deep.”

Despite missing out on the USWNT roster for its gold medal run at the Paris Olympics, it hasn’t taken long for Gaetino’s potential to turn the head of new head coach Emma Hayes.  

The former Chelsea boss, who won seven WSL titles in a trophy-laden spell in west London, has been hailed for turning around the national team, which crashed out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup under Vlatko Andonovski.

Hayes is now getting ready for her first set of international friendlies this month, with the USWNT scheduled to take on Iceland and Argentina. 

With expectations soaring, Gaetino was full of praise for her new national coach. 

“I’ve had a couple of calls with [Hayes] and in every single conversation, I’ve felt that I’ve known her for way longer than I have,” Gaetino says. “She’s very easy to talk to and she’s straight up, which I really respect and appreciate. I hope to grow a relationship with her and learn from her.”

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Megan Humphrey
MEGAN HUMPHREY

Megan is an editor for Sports Illustrated Soccer. She specialises in the women's game, with a particular focus on NWSL and USWNT, as well as the Lionesses and Barclays Women's Super League. If she's not watching soccer, she's either playing it or supporting her team Tottenham Hotspur in England, where she lives.

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