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Croix Bethune

From Wikipedia
Croix Bethune
human
Ein sex anaa genderfemale Edit
Ein country of citizenshipUnited States Edit
Family nameBethune Edit
Ein date of birth14 March 2001 Edit
Place dem born amAlpharetta Edit
Ein occupationassociation football player Edit
Sportfootball Edit
Award e receiveNational Women's Soccer League Rookie of the Year, National Women's Soccer League Midfielder of the Year Edit

Croix Collette Bethune (/ˈkrɔɪ bəˈθuːn/ CROY bə-THOON;[1] born March 14, 2001) be an American professional soccer player wey dey play as an attacking midfielder give de Kansas City Current of de National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) den de United States national team.

Bethune play college soccer give de USC Trojans den Georgia Bulldogs, twice she be named first-team All-American. She be selected third overall by de Washington Spirit insyd de 2024 NWSL Draft, tying de league ein single-season assist record as a rookie wey she be named de NWSL Rookie of de Year den de NWSL Midfielder of de Year. She be named to de NWSL Best XI both seasons she play plus de Spirit. She sanso win a gold medal plus de United States at de 2024 Paris Olympics.

Early life

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Bethune be raised insyd Alpharetta, Georgia, de daughter of United States Air Force members Richard den Jean Bethune, wey she get a bro.[2][3] She start dey play soccer at age three anaa four.[4] Wen she be four, ein parents be stationed Stratford-upon-Avon, England, for three den a half years, wer she play plus boys secof na der no be girls' team.[3][5] She play club soccer for de ECNL ein Concorde Fire Soccer Club insyd Atlanta wey na dem name am to de national Best XI insyd 2017 den 2018.[6] She play one season of high school soccer at Alpharetta High School.[2] She sanso play basketball insyd high school buh she choose to focus on soccer after recovering from an ACL tear while training plus de national under-17 team.[3][7] She commit to de University of Southern California over schools wey dey include Florida State, Duke, den UCLA.[5]

College career

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Bethune dey play give de USC Trojans insyd 2021

USC Trojans

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Bethune play three seasons give de USC Trojans. She miss ein freshman 2019 season secof a second ACL tear.[3] On ein debut give de Trojans, she provide two assists insyd a 4–3 overtime win over BYU insyd spring 2021.[3][8] She score 16 goals insyd de fall 2021 season, de third most insyd a season insyd program history, wey dey include a nine-minute hat trick insyd de first round of de NCAA tournament.[2][9] Insyd both 2021 den 2022, as captain of de Trojans, she be named first-team All-Pac-12, first-team All-American, den de Pac-12 Midfielder of de Year.[3]

Georgia Bulldogs

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Bethune transfer go de Georgia Bulldogs for de 2023 season, reuniting plus former USC coach Keidane McAlpine, after tearing ein ACL for a third time while finishing ein undergraduate degree at USC.[10][11] She lead Georgia to ein first postseason title insyd program history at de SEC tournament insyd 2023, wer she score an equalizer against Kentucky insyd de quarterfinals den a last-minute winner over Texas A&M insyd de semifinals, wey na dem name am de tournament ein most valuable player.[10] She be named second-team All-SEC den second-team All-American.

Club career

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Washington Spirit

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Bethune plus de Washington Spirit insyd 2024

De Washington Spirit select Bethune third overall insyd de 2024 NWSL Draft; de Spirit acquire de pick by trading Sam Staab to de Chicago Red Stars.[12] She sign a three-year contract plus de option to extend anoda year.[13] She make ein professional debut insyd de season opener against de Seattle Reign on March 17, starting insyd de attacking midfield role wey previously belong to de recently traded Ashley Sanchez.[14] De following week, she score ein first professional goal insyd late stoppage time to secure a 2–1 win over Bay FC.[15] On May 2, she assist on three goals insyd a 4–2 win over de Chicago Red Stars, becoming de youngest NWSL player to record three assists insyd one match.[16] On May 24, she score a goal wey she break de rookie assist record plus ein seventh assist of de season during a 3–2 win over de Seattle Reign.[17] On June 15, she struck insyd late stoppage time to salvage a 1–1 draw against de San Diego Wave, earning NWSL Goal of de Week.[18]

Bethune provide ein tenth assist of de season insyd a 4–1 win over de Kansas City Current on August 25, tying de league record for assists insyd a season set by Tobin Heath insyd 2016. Na five of those assists be to Ouleymata Sarr, de most between two NWSL teammates since 2019. Four days later, she tear ein meniscus while throwing de first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game, ending ein rookie season after 17 appearances plus 5 goal.[19] Widout am, de Spirit fini as regular season den playoffs runner-up to de Orlando Pride.[20] Bethune be named NWSL Rookie of de Month a record four times (March/April, May, June, den August).[21] Despite missing de last two months of de season, she be voted NWSL Rookie of de Year den Midfielder of de Year wey dem select am to de NWSL Best XI First Team.[22][23]

After eight months out of action, Bethune make ein return from injury insyd de game against Gotham FC on April 26, 2025.[24] She score ein first goal since de injury on August 23, striking into de net after a crafty dribble insyd a 3–2 win over Bay FC before an NWSL record crowd at Oracle Park.[25] She fini de season plus 2 goals den 2 assists insyd 20 regular-season games as de Spirit san place second insyd de league.[26] Insyd de playoffs, she score a late insurance goal to secure a 2–0 win over de Portland Thorns insyd de semifinals, before losing 1–0 to Gotham FC insyd de 2025 NWSL Championship.[27] She be named to de NWSL Best XI Second Team at de end of de season.[28]

Kansas City Current

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After requesting a trade during de offseason,[29] on February 11, 2026, Bethune be transferred to de Kansas City Current in exchange for US$900,000 insyd intraleague transfer funds den US$100,000 insyd allocation money.[30] Dis move den Claire Hutton ein concurrent buh separate move from de Current to Bay FC be de third den second largest transfers insyd NWSL history.[29] She make a goalscoring debut on ein 25th birthday, equalizing insyd a season-opening 2–1 win over de Utah Royals.[31] On July 3, she mark ein 50th career regular-season appearance plus two assists insyd a 3–0 win over expansion team Denver Summit.[32] Later dat month, she make ein seventh assist of de season insyd a 5–1 victory over Racing Louisville, setting a new club single-season record.[33]

International career

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Youth national team

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Bethune first be called up to a youth national team training camp plus de United States national under-15 team at age 13 insyd March 2015.[2][34] She help win de 2016 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship, wer na she be named to de tournament ein Best XI team.[35] She be de youngest player on de under-17 team insyd November 2016.[36] She play give de winning team at de 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship wey she compete at de 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[37][38] She play friendlies give de under-23 team insyd 2022.[39]

Senior national team

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Bethune be called into ein first senior national team camp as a training player insyd June 2024.[40] Later dat month she be named as an alternate to de national team for de 2024 Summer Olympics insyd France.[41] Bethune make ein first USWNT appearance on July 13, 2024, insyd de 81st minute of a friendly Olympic sendoff against Mexico.[42] She be elevated to de main roster at de Olympics secof an injury to Jaedyn Shaw wey she make ein Olympic debut insyd de 79th minute of de third group stage game against Australia on July 31.[43][44] De United States go on to win de gold medal, defeating Brazil 1–0 insyd de final on a goal from Mallory Swanson.[45]

On January 27, 2026, Bethune score ein first USWNT goal insyd a 5–0 friendly win over Chile.[46]

Style of play

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An attacking midfielder, Bethune dey possess excellent vision den technical skill wich make am a standout passer.[47][48][49]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of June 22, 2025
Appearances den goals by club, season den competition
Club Season League Cup Playoffs Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Washington Spirit 2024 NWSL 17 5 0 0 0 0 17 5
2025 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Career total 25 5 0 0 0 0 25 5

International statistics

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As of match played January 27, 2026
National teamYearAppsGoals
United States 202430
202520
202621
Total71
List of international goals wey Croix Bethune score
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 January 27, 2026 Santa Barbara, California, United States  CHI 1–0 5–0 Friendly [50]

Honors den awards

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Georgia Bulldogs

Washington Spirit

United States

Individual

References

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  1. ↑ "Bethune Croix". Olympics.com. 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Croix Bethune – Women's Soccer". University of Southern California Athletics. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (October 26, 2022). "How USC soccer's Croix Bethune became one of the best players in the country". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  4. ↑ Sylvs, Southern (February 9, 2024). "Croix Bethune: Ready for the World". All for XI. SB Nation. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Brooks Jr., Damon (June 13, 2024). "Spirit rookie Croix Bethune dazzles in first NWSL season". Monumental Sports Network. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Croix Bethune - 2023 - Soccer". University of Georgia Athletics (in English). Retrieved 2026-08-14.
  7. ↑ Dubey, Aaddya (August 24, 2021). "Bethune thrives in return to play". Daily Trojan. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  8. ↑ Maria, Alixandria (February 15, 2021). "Trojans open their season with overtime win over BYU". USC Annenberg Media. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  9. ↑ Almendarez, Hector (November 13, 2021). "USC thrashes Grand Canyon in first round of NCAA Tournament". Daily Trojan. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Tidwell, Sara (January 18, 2024). "'Dreams do come true': How this UGA star worked to become a first-round draft pick". Athens Banner-Herald.
  11. ↑ Warden, Owen (June 22, 2023). "Georgia soccer adds 5 transfers to 2023 recruiting class". The Red & Black. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  12. ↑ Brockway, Ella (January 13, 2024). "Spirit gets busy, deals Ashley Sanchez, Sam Staab and loads up in draft". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Washington Spirit Officially Signs 2024 Rookie Class to Professional Contracts". Washington Spirit. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  14. ↑ Linehan, Meg; Rueter, Jeff (September 4, 2024). "Washington Spirit star rookie Croix Bethune suffers season-ending knee injury". The Athletic. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  15. ↑ Floyd, Thomas (April 20, 2024). "The Spirit bet big on Croix Bethune. The rookie has made that look wise". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  16. ↑ Rantz, Susie (May 2, 2024). "Barbra Banda's 2 goals keep Orlando Pride undefeated in NWSL". Associated Press. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  17. ↑ Brockway, Ella (May 24, 2024). "Croix Bethune strikes again, lifting Spirit to 3–2 win over Reign". The Washington Post.
  18. ↑ Shankar, Varun (June 15, 2024). "Croix Bethune nets late equalizer for Spirit before record crowd". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  19. ↑ Goff, Steven (September 4, 2024). "A first pitch gone awry — and Spirit star Croix Bethune is out for season". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  20. ↑ Cattry, Pardeep (November 23, 2024). "Youthful Washington Spirit fall short in NWSL Championship, but ownership is building an undeniable contender". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  21. 1 2 "Washington Spirit Midfielder Croix Bethune Named August Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally". National Women's Soccer League. September 5, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 Anderson, Jason (November 19, 2024). "Croix Bethune reflects on NWSL Rookie of the Year season: 'This doesn't seem real'". Pro Soccer Wire. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  23. 1 2 "Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune named 2024 NWSL Midfielder of the Year" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  24. ↑ Vertelney, Seth (2025-04-26). "Spirit star Bethune returns after eight-month injury absence". USA Today. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  25. ↑ "Recap: Spirit defeats Bay FC 3-2, earns sixth away win of the season". Washington Spirit. 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
  26. ↑ "Croix Bethune 2025 Match Logs". Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  27. ↑ Cascone, Arianna (2025-11-20). "Anatomy of a Goal: Bethune took it and ran with it". The Equalizer. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  28. 1 2 "Two Washington Spirit Stars Named to NWSL Best XI Teams". Washington Spirit. 2025-11-09. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  29. 1 2 Kassouf, Jeff (2026-02-11). "Sources: USWNT's Bethune to Current, Hutton joining Bay FC". ESPN. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  30. ↑ "Kansas City Current Acquires 2024 NWSL Midfielder, Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune". Kansas City Current. 2026-02-11. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  31. ↑ Sperry, Daniel (2026-03-14). "Beating Utah in sunny season opener, KC Current wins 1st game under new head coach". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  32. ↑ "Match Recap: Kansas City Current Returns to Regular Season with Emphatic 3-0 Shutout at Denver Summit FC". Kansas City Current. 2026-07-03. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  33. ↑ "Match Recap: Kansas City Current Rides First-Half Scoring Surge to 5-1 Victory Over Racing Louisville FC". Kansas City Current. 2026-07-29. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  34. ↑ "U.S. U15 GNT camp roster revealed". United States Soccer Federation. March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  35. ↑ "TSG reveals CU15G Best XI, Awards". CONCACAF. August 22, 2016. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016.
  36. ↑ Yort, Caroline (November 16, 2015). "2019 Girls IMG Academy 150 rankings update". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  37. ↑ "U.S. U17 WNT cruises past Bermuda". United States Soccer Federation. June 7, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  38. ↑ "U17 WNT fall in second World Cup match". United States Soccer Federation. November 17, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  39. ↑ "Under-23 WNT heads to Europe in June". United States Soccer Federation. June 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  40. ↑ Anderson, Jason (May 22, 2024). "Bethune, Hershfelt talk USWNT call-ups amid standout NWSL rookie seasons". Pro Soccer Wire. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  41. ↑ Linehan, Meg (June 26, 2024). "Alex Morgan not selected to USWNT for Paris Olympics: Full roster for 2024 Games". The Athletic. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  42. ↑ Brockway, Ella (July 13, 2024). "USWNT moves past Mexico and takes another step toward the Olympics". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  43. ↑ Swanick, Megan (July 28, 2024). "Croix Bethune created NWSL history. Now she is ready for the Olympics". The Guardian. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  44. ↑ "U.S. Women's National Team Defeats Australia 2–1 to Claim Top Spot in Group B at 2024 Summer Olympics". United States Soccer Federation. July 31, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  45. 1 2 Mathews, Max (August 10, 2024). "USWNT vs Brazil live updates: Mallory Swanson breaks deadlock in Paris Olympics 2024 women's soccer final". The Athletic. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  46. ↑ Vertelney, Seth (2026-01-27). "USWNT vs. Chile live updates, lineup, score for friendly today". USA Today. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  47. ↑ Swanick, Megan (July 28, 2024). "Croix Bethune created NWSL history. Now she is ready for the Olympics". The Guardian. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  48. ↑ Franca, Izabelle (November 21, 2024). "Croix Bethune's record-breaking season redefines what it means to be a rookie in NWSL". MLS Multiplex. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  49. ↑ Carlisle, André (April 23, 2024). "Croix Bethune's goal against Gotham is a sign that she (and all her skills) has fully arrived". The District Press. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  50. ↑ "U.S. Women's National Team Rolls To 5-0 Win Over Chile In Historic Santa Barbara Match". U.S. Soccer (in English). January 28, 2026. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  51. ↑ "Recap: Short-Handed Spirit Wins 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup". Washington Spirit. March 8, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
  52. ↑ "NWSL Announces March/April Best XI of the Month, Presented by Amazon Prime" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  53. ↑ "NWSL Announces May Best XI of the Month, Presented by Amazon Prime" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  54. ↑ "NWSL Announces June Best XI of the Month, Presented by Amazon Prime" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
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