_009.jpg) Sánchez with theHouston Dash in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | María Guadalupe Sánchez Morales[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1996-02-20)20 February 1996 (age 29)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Nampa, Idaho, U.S.[2] | ||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | UANL | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2013 | American Falls HS | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2015 | Idaho State Bengals | 37 | (22) |
| 2017–2018 | Santa Clara Broncos | 42 | (13) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019 | Chicago Red Stars | 7 | (0) |
| 2020 | Guadalajara | 21 | (5) |
| 2021 | UANL | 34 | (9) |
| 2021 | →Houston Dash (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2022–2024 | Houston Dash | 48 | (7) |
| 2024–2025 | San Diego Wave | 34 | (4) |
| 2025– | UANL | 9 | (5) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2010 | Mexico U17 | ||
| 2015–2016 | Mexico U20 | 9 | (3) |
| 2015– | Mexico | 63 | (14) |
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 2 September 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 20 April 2024 | |||
María Guadalupe Sánchez Morales (born 20 February 1996) is a professionalfootballer who plays as aforward forLiga MX Femenil clubTigres UANL. Born in the United States, she plays for theMexico national team.
Sánchez played college soccer atIdaho State University before leaving in April 2016.[3] She subsequently concluded her collegiate career atSanta Clara University in 2018.
Sánchez began her professional career with American clubChicago Red Stars, who selected Sánchez with the fifteenth overall pick in the2019 NWSL College Draft. After the2019 NWSL season, Sánchez signed withGuadalajara of theLiga MX Femenil for 2020. In 2021, she moved toTigres UANL and won the2021 Clausura title. In the summer of 2021, she had a month-long loan to NWSL clubHouston Dash, who later signed her permanently. In 2024, she signed with theSan Diego Wave.
A senior and former youth Mexican international, Sánchez played at the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Sánchez is the daughter of Mexican-born Roberto Sánchez and Irene Morales, who as of 2015 were employed at a potato processing plant inAmerican Falls, Idaho, United States. No club team was locally available, nor could her parents afford the costs of enrolling her on an elite club team, so Sánchez played only high school soccer.[4][5] Sánchez was a four-year letter-winner atAmerican Falls High School. She was the scoring leader in the state ofIdaho in all four years, scoring 26, 34, 50, and 78 goals in her freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years, respectively. Her number was later retired by American Falls High School.[6]
Despite her high school record,Idaho State Bengals was the only collegiate program that offered Sánchez a scholarship because she did not play elite club soccer. Sánchez played for Idaho State in 2014 and 2015. As a freshman in 2014, Sánchez scored seven goals and led the team and conference with 8 assists. She was named to theBig Sky Conference All-Academic team. In her sophomore year, for a team that had a record of one win, one tie, and 15 losses, Sánchez scored 15 goals and had 4 assists in 17 games. She was named to the All-Conference team.[7]
In April 2016, Sánchez announced she was leaving Idaho State University to seek a more "competitive environment." Idaho State denied her permission to contact other universities and alleged that a third party was assisting her contrary toNCAA rules. About 50 university teams had expressed interest in her, but Idaho State denied her request to communicate with five universities, all major women's soccer powers.[8] Idaho State further alleged that those five schools had communicated with Sánchez without permission. Sánchez denied the allegations and responded that Idaho State was blocking her soccer career. Idaho State subsequently granted her request to contactSanta Clara University andUniversity of South Florida.[9]
Sánchez enrolled at Santa Clara in January 2017 and began playing for theSanta Clara Broncos. She appeared in all 23 games in 2017, scored five goals, and tied for theWest Coast Conference lead with six assists.[6] In 2018, Sánchez appeared in 19 games and scored eight goals.[10] She had 16 assists, first among players in allNCAA Division I programs.[11]
On 11 January 2019, Sánchez was drafted by theChicago Red Stars of theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL).[12] She made seven appearances with the club in 2019.
On 13 December 2019, Sánchez was announced byLiga MX Femenil clubCD Guadalajara as their next signing on loan for theClausura 2020.[13] She wore number 7 for Chivas. At the end of theApertura 2020, it was announced that Sánchez was one of several players who would leave the club.[14]
Sánchez signed withTigres UANL for 2021 and helped the team win theClausura 2021. After a loan to theHouston Dash for June, Sánchez returned for theApertura 2020 in which UANL reached the final and lost in a shootout. The club posted a farewell video on 22 December, and Sánchez replied with gratitude for her to fulfill her "dreams."[15]
In March 2021,Houston Dash acquired Sánchez's NWSL rights from Chicago in exchange for Houston's second-round pick in the2022 NWSL Draft.[16] She signed for a month-long loan from Tigres in June 2021 and scored her first goal in the league in a 2–1 victory over theOrlando Pride.[17] Although her loan ended, Houston retained her NWSL rights.[citation needed]
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Before the2022 NWSL Expansion Draft, the Dash released a list of nine protected players that included "a contracted international player who has not yet been announced."[18] The NWSL released the same list but named Sánchez as that player, although her contract signing would not be officially announced until 2022.[19] On 6 January 2022, the Dash announced that Sánchez had been signed to a two-year contract. "Joining the Dash is such a privilege for me," Sánchez said. "It's getting another shot at my dream, and I couldn't be more excited to do it with a team and coaching staff that I have tremendous respect for!"[20] In December 2023, Sánchez signed a three-year contract with the Dash reportedly worth almostUS$1.5 million, the richest contract in NWSL history.[21][22]
The Dash went 1–2–1 to start the 2024 season.[23]ESPN reported on 14 April 2024 that Sánchez wanted to be immediately traded from the Dash, which she confirmed on social media on 18 April.[24] The Dash traded Sánchez toSan Diego Wave FC on 20 April for $300,000 in intra-league transfer funds, $200,000 in allocation money, and an international slot for 2024 and 2025.[25] Sánchez made her debut for the Wave one week later in a home victory overBay FC.[26][27] She scored her first goal with San Diego against the same opponent during anNWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup match in July, tallying an assist in the same match.[28] On 18 September 2024, Sánchez scored ahat-trick againstPortland Thorns FC in theCONCACAF W Champions Cup. Sánchez's three second-half goals lifted the Wave to a comeback victory after facing a two-goal deficit.[29][30]
On 23 June 2025, Sánchez returned toTigres UANL for an undisclosed fee.[31]
_(cropped).jpg)
Sánchez was eligible to represent Mexico and the United States at the international level.
In 2015, Sánchez's coach at Idaho State told her about a tryout for theMexico women's national under-20 football team. She made the team and, after good performances, was named to join the seniorMexico women's national football team for the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She was the second youngest player on the World Cup team.[32] Sánchez played as a midfielder in one match, a loss toEngland, in the World Cup.[33]
Sánchez was selected to represent Mexico at the2023 Pan American Games held inSantiago,Chile, where the Mexican squad went undefeated to won the gold medal for the first time in their history at the Pan American Games, defeatingChile 1–0.[34][35]
In 2024, Sánchez appeared in the first season ofThe Offseason, a reality television series following a group of NWSL players training before the new season.[36]
Tigres UANL
Mexico
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Playoffs[b] | Continental[c] | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chicago Red Stars | 2019 | NWSL | 7 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| C.D. Guadalajara | 2019–20 | Liga MX Femenil | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | 17 | 5 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 21 | 5 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 5 | |||||
| Tigres UANL | 2020–21 | Liga MX Femenil | 17 | 3 | — | 6 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 3 | |||
| 2021–22 | 17 | 6 | — | 6 | 5 | — | — | 23 | 11 | |||||
| Total | 34 | 9 | — | 12 | 5 | — | — | 46 | 14 | |||||
| Houston Dash | 2021 | NWSL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | |||
| 2022 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 3 | ||||
| 2023 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 4 | |||||
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 49 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 62 | 8 | ||||
| San Diego Wave FC | 2024 | NWSL | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 4 | 3[d] | 1 | 29 | 6 | |
| 2025 | 12 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 3 | ||||||
| Total | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 41 | 9 | ||
| Tigres UANL | 2025 | Liga MX Femenil | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 145 | 25 | 12 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 179 | 36 | ||
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