San José Soccer Star Naomi Girma Returns Home

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will face the Japan Women’s National team during a friendly match in San José this Saturday. This weekend’s bout will be the first of three games between the two squads, with Seattle and Denver hosting subsequent exhibitions next week.

While all three competitions are technically home games for the U.S., the San José match is a meaningful return to her roots for the team’s highly decorated defensive phenom, Naomi Girma.

“I’m excited,” says Girma, a proud San José representative.

While Japan will undoubtably bring a healthy competition, Girma is anticipating the home crowd. “I love playing in San José,” she says. “It’s just fun to be in front of family and friends, and to get to see so many people after the game.”

Born and raised in the South Bay, Girma also attended Stanford University, where she helped lead the Cardinals to the 2019 NCAA National Championship. A sophomore at the time, Girma helped cement the title win with her standout defense and a penalty kick goal in the final match against the University of North Carolina.

In 2022, the newly established San Diego Wave FC selected Girma as the number one overall pick in the NWSL Draft. Girma balled out and helped lead the team to a playoff birth in its first year, winning both NWSL Rookie of the Year and NWSL Defender of the Year.

As Girma got deeper into her professional career the accolades continued to flow. She was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2023, and in 2024 she played every minute of Team USA’s matches in the Paris Olympics, which resulted in the squad winning a gold medal.

In January of 2025, England’s Women’s Super League club Chelsea FC signed Girma to a multi-year deal. The transfer fee Chelsea paid the Wave was reportedly $1.1 million (£890,000), making Girma the first women’s player to have a contract sold for over $1 million.

One of the most decorated professional athletes of the past decade, Girma got her start playing soccer on Saturdays in the South Bay.

“I started playing with Maleda,” says Girma, referring to the youth soccer club in San José. Her father, a soccer player as well, started the organization. Made for soccer, the team also built community. “It was just for Ethiopian families to come together,” Girma reflects, noting that as a young girl she was fiercely competitive. “But I also had a lot of fun.”

She spent Saturdays playing at different parks throughout the area. With the guidance of her father (who also coached), support from her mother and mentorship from her older brother, she found her way.

Recreation soon turned to dedicated sport, as the young Girma later joined a regional club soccer team. “Then,” she says, “[soccer] just became a very big part of my life.” Her commitment changed her schedule. She went from one game on the weekend to multiple games each week and traveling for tournaments. She played other sports as well, namely basketball, but by the time she hit high school, soccer became her one big thing. And as she locked in, it payed dividends.

“It definitely feels surreal sometimes,” Girma reflects, addressing her own success, grateful for everything her family has done to push her along the way.

“As a child of immigrants,” she says, “you can see firsthand how different your childhood was from your parents. And I think that’s something that makes you try not to take anything for granted.”

Even before she was born, Girma says, her parents were making sacrifices for her, and that has continued through her journey as an athlete. “They’ve instilled so many values and qualities in me that I think have helped me,” the 25-year-old soccer star says. She pinpoints how her parents exemplified discipline and work ethic, as well as perseverance and resilience. “No matter what I was doing,” Girma says, “those are definitely key things that make me who I am, and also have made me a good soccer player.”

A South Bay kid through and through, Girma relishes the diversity the region offers. Beyond being the home base to some of the world’s largest tech companies, San José’s rich cultural tapestry exposed a young Girma to various cuisines and varieties of music.

“San José is typically just seen as a part of Silicon Valley,” she says. “But from the inside, you know how many different cultures there are here, and how many communities there are.”

But it wasn’t until Girma was drafted and moved to San Diego did she fully put it in context. “I appreciated it more when I left and then came back,” she says. “There’s just something about the Bay that is really special,” says Girma, noting the “different pockets” that exists here. “I feel like there’s really no other place like it.”

Girma’s professional rise parallels soccer’s growth as of late, particularly in the U.S., and especially here in the Bay Area.

While California is a hub for soccer, with college teams and the club system being long established, the sport is growing professionally too. Girma literally played a part in the expansion of the NWSL and changed the value of trading a player across international leagues. And she’s seeing the sport continue to grow in popularity, especially on the women’s side.

Her point is evidenced by the establishment of the San José-based club, Bay FC, which as founded in 2023 and played its first game the following year. They join other regional clubs like the Oakland Roots and Oakland Soul, as well as the Monterey Bay FC, San Francisco City FC and the San Jose Earthquakes, which played their inaugural season 30 years ago under the name San Jose Clash.

Last fall, a barge carrying a huge floating soccer pitch was anchored near San Francisco’s Pier 50, as the National Women’s Soccer League celebrated its championship week.

And later this year, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring a series of matches to venues across North America, including Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium.

“I feel like this summer will be a big moment to have a lot of eyes on [soccer] in this country,” predicts Girma. She mentions the NWSL’s latest expansion teams, Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC, and says the growth is continuing. “I hope that the same will happen on the men’s side too,” she adds.

As the game expands, and more young soccer stars develop on the fields around the Bay Area and beyond, Girma offers a bit of advice for footballers looking to turn their passion into a career.

“Run your own race,” she says, quoting a mentor of hers. People grow at different rates, so there’s no sense in comparing yourself to another person. “Some people peak earlier,” Girma says, noting how some might get calls from national teams or move ahead at a younger age. “Just focus on yourself, and you’ll get to where you wanna go.”

Naomi Girma and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team face the Japan Women’s National team on Saturday, April 11, at 2:30 p.m. at PayPal Park in San José. For tickets and information, check here.