_075_(cropped).jpg) Jackson with theNorth Carolina Courage in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Riley Francis Jackson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2005-12-02)December 2, 2005 (age 20)[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | North Carolina Courage | ||
| Number | 16 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Roswell Santos SC | |||
| Concorde Fire | |||
| 2022–2023 | Blessed Trinity Titans | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023– | North Carolina Courage | 43 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | United States U-17 | 12 | (2) |
| 2024 | United States U-20 | 15 | (1) |
| 2025– | United States U-23 | 4 | (0) |
| 2026– | United States | 1 | (0) |
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 17, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of January 27, 2026 | |||
Riley Francis Jackson (born December 2, 2005) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as amidfielder for theNorth Carolina Courage of theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and theUnited States national team. She was named theGatorade National Player of the Year in 2022 and signed with the Courage at age 17 in 2023.
Jackson represented the United States at theunder-17,under-20, andunder-23 levels, winning bronze at the2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, before making her senior debut in 2026.
Jackson grew up inRoswell, Georgia.[2] She began playing soccer with local club Roswell Santos SC, where her father coached her team.[2] After ten years there, she joinedECNL club Concorde Fire, playing up an age group.[2] She was named the ECNL Southeast Conference Player of the Year in 2021.[3] In 2022, she was named the ECNL National Player of the Year after leading the Fire to the ECNL under-18/19 national title.[4][5]
Jackson played high school soccer forBlessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, totaling 36 goals and 48 assists.[6] She was named theGatorade National Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2022 after scoring 14 goals with 18 assists and leading Roswell to a 19–2–1 record and theGHSA Class 5A state semifinals.[7] She committed to playcollege soccer forDuke during her junior year.[8]TopDrawerSoccer ranked her as the fourth-best prospect in the 2024 class.[9]
North Carolina Courage head coachSean Nahas first invited Jackson to train with the Courage in the summer of 2022.[10] The next summer, she was offered professional terms and decided to give up her college eligibility and sign with the club.[10] On July 28, 2023, the Courage announced that they had signed 17-year-old Jackson to her first professional contract on a two-and-half-year deal, with the option for another year, using the NWSL's recently establishedUnder-18 Entry Mechanism.[11][12] She had a foot injury that kept her out for the rest of the year.[13]
Jackson made her professional debut as a 90th-minute substitute forAshley Sanchez in the season-opening 5–1 win over theHouston Dash on March 16, 2024.[14] She earned her first start in her 12th appearance on June 23, a 3–1 home win over theChicago Red Stars.[15] On July 26, she scored her first professional goal, a stoppage-time equalizer from outside the box, againstRacing Louisville in theNWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup; following the 1–1 draw, she scored the opening penalty kick in the shootout victory.[16] She played in 18 regular-season games in 2024, starting 3, as the Courage placed fifth in the league.[17] She was an unused substitute in the playoff quarterfinal loss to theKansas City Current.[17]
Narumi Miura's departure to theWashington Spirit opened a starting role for Jackson in the 2025 season.[18] On March 15, she scored her first regular-season goal in a season-opening 1–1 road draw with Racing Louisville.[19] She played in 25 league games in 2025, starting 23, and scored 2 goals as the Courage placed ninth and missed the playoffs.[19] On December 3, the Courage signed Jackson to a three-year contract extension.[20]
Jackson was first called into camp with the United States youth national team at theunder-15 level in October 2019.[2] She trained again with the team in March 2020 at a camp run by her future Courage coachSean Nahas.[21][22] When youth soccer returned from itsCOVID-19 pandemic hiatus, Jackson traveled abroad for the first time to play for thenational under-17 team at the2022 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in the Dominican Republic.[2] She co-captained the team to win the tournament, scoring two goals and making three assists, and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.[5] She recorded two assists at the2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, where the United States fell toNigeria in the quarterfinals on penalties. Jackson was one of two United States players whose penalties were saved in the shootout.[5][23]
Jackson played friendlies for theunder-20 team before being selected to the roster for the2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[24][25] She played all but 45 minutes at the U-20 Women's World Cup, helping the United States finish in third place, its best result since2012. She converted a penalty kick in a shootout win overGermany in the quarterfinals.[26][27] She was called up byEmma Hayes into Futures Camp, training concurrently with thesenior national team, in January 2025.[28]
Jackson was called up to the senior national team for the first time in January 2026.[29] She made her senior international debut on January 27, starting the entire match and assistingTrinity Rodman's goal in a 5–0 friendly win overChile.[30]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
North Carolina Courage
United States U-20
