Maddie Dahlien

Maddie Dahlien

Dahlien with North Carolina in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Madeline Grace Dahlien[1]
Date of birth	(2004-07-25) July 25, 2004 (age 20)[2]
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Position(s)	Center forward, winger
Team information
Current team	North Carolina Tar Heels
Number	5
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022–	North Carolina Tar Heels	47	(5)
International career‡
2023–2024	United States U-20	15	(6)
Medal record Women's soccer FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 21, 2024

Madeline Grace Dahlien (born July 25, 2004) is an American college soccer player who plays as a forward for the North Carolina Tar Heels. A two-sport athlete in high school, Dahlien won multiple Minnesota state track and field championships at Edina High School. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Dahlien was raised in Edina, Minnesota.^[1] She played for Edina Soccer Club before high school, when she joined Minnesota Thunder Academy, the state's only team in the Elite Clubs National League, and was named an All-American in 2020–21.^[3][4] She attended Edina High School, where she recorded 92 career goals and 43 assists and was named all-state three times. She scored 37 goals in her senior year in 2021, helping lead her team to the state semifinals.^[1][5]

Dahlien also starred in track and field in high school, coming second at the state championship in the 100, 200, and 400 meters as a freshman; sweeping the 100, 200, and 400 meters as a junior; and winning the 200 meters and long jump as a senior, narrowly coming second in the 100 and 400 meters.^[5][6] Following her senior year, she was named the Star Tribune Female Athlete of the Year.^[5] She committed to the University of North Carolina for soccer in August 2020 and considered additionally joining the track team.^[7][8]

Dahlien scored four goals with three assists despite making only five starts for the North Carolina Tar Heels as a freshman in 2022, being named to the Atlantic Coast Conference all-freshman team. She scored a brace against BYU in the third round of the NCAA championship, where the Tar Heels finished the season as national runners-up.^[3] She moved into North Carolina's usual starting lineup as a junior in 2024, being named to the All-ACC third team.^[1][9]

Dahlien first trained with the United States youth national team at a combined under-18/under-19 camp in April 2023. She was one of the youngest players selected to the under-20 roster for 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, scoring a hat trick in her youth international debut against Jamaica in the group stage. She entered the starting lineup as the team finished as runners-up to Mexico, securing qualification to the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.^[3][10]

Dahlien appeared off the bench in every game at the U-20 Women's World Cup.^[11] She scored in both of the team's group stage wins over Morocco and Paraguay.^[12] In the quarterfinals, trailing Germany 2–0, the United States came back in the last moments of regulation with a goal from Jordynn Dudley and an own goal forced by Ally Sentnor in the 90+8th and 90+9th minutes—the latter off Dahlien's deflected cross; they advanced in a penalty shootout.^[13] Following a semifinal defeat to eventual champions North Korea, Dahlien forced a 119th-minute own goal in a 2–1 extra-time win over the Netherlands, helping the United States finish the tournament in third place, its best result since 2012.^[11]

• Maddie Dahlien at World Athletics
• Maddie Dahlien at Soccerway.com