Aly Wagner is introduced before the U.S. women's soccer team's game against Chinese Taipei on Oct. 1, 2006 in Carson, Calif.
Aly Wagner has numerous accomplishments to her name in the game of soccer, having won bronze at two FIFA Women’s World Cups and winning two Olympic gold medals before moving on to a successful broadcasting career.
And now she has made history as the first woman to call a men’s World Cup match on U.S. television, serving as the analyst alongside Derek Rae for Iran’s 1-0 win over Morocco on Friday. Wagner is the only woman on the broadcast team calling matches for the World Cup, taking place in Russia through July 15. She is scheduled to call 10 matches in total, all from a broadcast studio in Los Angeles.
Wagner was previously on the broadcast team for the 2015 Women’s World Cup, and also is an analyst for National Women’s Soccer League matches. She was part of the broadcast team for the 2017 and 2018 NWSL Draft as well.
Wagner was a star player at Santa Clara University, helping the Broncos win the 2001 national championship and winning the Hermann Trophy as the best women’s player in the country as a senior in 2002. At a time when women’s pro soccer was in its nascent stages, she had a brief pro career, but starred with the U.S. Women’s National Team. Wagner made 131 appearances for the national team from 1998-2008, scoring 21 goals and notching 42 assists.
She played in the Women’s World Cup in 2003 and 2007 - earning bronze both times, and won gold medals with the U.S. Olympic Team in 2004 and 2008.
Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
