Meghan Klingenberg

Meghan Elizabeth Klingenberg was born on August 2, 1988, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Gibsonia, PA. Her athletic journey began early, with her attending Pine-Richland High School from 2003 to 2007, where she captained the girls’ soccer team and led them to a Pennsylvania state high school championship in 2005. Klingenberg was recognized as an NSCAA All-America selection and a Parade All-American during her high school career. She further honed her discipline and aggression on the field through Taekwondo, achieving a third-degree black belt. After high school, Klingenberg attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, playing for the Tar Heels as a versatile, four-year starter, scoring 18 goals and 24 assists while earning NSCAA All-American honors in 2010. She graduated with a degree in Business Administration, concentrating on entrepreneurship.

Klingenberg’s professional soccer career began in 2011 when she was selected in the first round of the WPS draft by the Washington Freedom, later magicJack, and then played for the Boston Breakers and Western New York Flash, winning the 2012 Women’s Premier Soccer League Elite. She then moved to Sweden, playing for Tyresö FF from 2012 to 2013, where she secured a Damallsvenskan title in 2012. In 2014, she joined the Houston Dash of the NWSL and, in 2016, moved to the Portland Thorns FC, where she remained until 2024. During her time with the Thorns, she won two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021) and two NWSL Championships (2017, 2022), the NWSL Community Shield (2020), the NWSL Challenge Cup (2021), and the International Champions Cup (2021).

Internationally, Klingenberg represented the United States at various youth levels before making her senior national team debut in 2011. A pivotal moment in her career was winning the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where she played every minute of all seven games for the U.S. team and was named to the FIFA All-Star team. She also participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Beyond the pitch, Klingenberg has actively engaged in athlete advocacy, negotiating image and likeness rights for the U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association in 2018. In 2019, she co-founded Re-inc, a gender-neutral lifestyle brand, alongside former teammates Tobin Heath, Christen Press, and Megan Rapinoe, further establishing her influence in business and culture.