Mia Fishel

Fishel played three seasons of college soccer for the UCLA Bruins at the University of California, Los Angeles between 2019 and 2021 while majoring in psychology. As a freshman, Fishel appeared in all 24 games and led the Bruins in scoring with 14 goals including five in the postseason as UCLA reached the College Cup semi-finals before losing to Stanford. She ranked third among freshman in the nation in goals scored and earned Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and All-Pac-12 third-team honors.[1] In 2020, Fishel ranked second in goals for the Bruins with six and tied for the team lead with six assists as the Bruins won the Pac-12 title for the first time since 2014. Fishel earned All-Pacific Region first-team and All-American second-team selections by the United Soccer Coaches as well as All-Pac-12 first-team honors.[1] Ahead of her junior year, Fishel announced she would be declaring early for the 2022 NWSL Draft at the end of the season.[2] UCLA went unbeaten on the season, retaining the Pac-12 championship before the team's 26-match unbeaten streak was ended by a 1–0 defeat in an upset to unranked UC Irvine in the first round of the NCAA Tournament having been ranked #3 nationally.[3] Fishel led the team in goals with 12 in her final season and earned her second consecutive United Soccer Coaches All-America honor, being selected to the third-team. She was also first-team All-Pacific Region and All-Pac-12 for the second time.[1]

On December 18, 2021, Fishel was selected in the first round (5th overall) of the 2022 NWSL Draft by Orlando Pride having opted to declare early and forgo her senior year. Her head coach at UCLA, Amanda Cromwell, had been appointed Orlando head coach earlier that month.[4] However, on January 14, 2022, she instead opted to sign outside of the NWSL with Mexican Liga MX team Tigres UANL.[5] Critical of the draft system, she stated she had turned down Orlando because she did not want to be part of a rebuilding team and Tigres offered the chance of championships.[6] She made her debut on January 31 as a 65th minute substitute in a 1–1 draw with Tijuana during the 2022 Clausura. Four days later she made her first start and scored twice in a 4–2 win away to Mazatlán.[7] Fishel scored 17 goals in 17 appearances during the 2022 Apertura, becoming the first foreign player to win the Liga MX Femenil golden boot. She beat Christina Burkenroad by one goal.[8]

On August 4, 2023, English Women's Super League club Chelsea announced the signing of Fishel from Tigres on a three-year contract.[9] Chelsea reportedly paid a $250,000 transfer fee.[10]

Fishel has represented the United States at under-15, under-17 and under-20 level.[1] In 2016, Fishel was part of the winning team at the 2016 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship and was individually named player of the tournament having scored seven goals.[11] In 2018, she was part of the squad that won the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship, scoring in a group stage victory over Bermuda and again in the semi-final against Haiti. The result qualified the team for the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup where Fishel scored the opening goal in a group stage win over Cameroon, the United States' only win as the team was eliminated as bottom of the group.[12] In 2020, Fishel won her third regional youth title as part of the winning squad at the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship. She scored a new all-ages national-record 13 goals including two in a 4–1 win over Mexico in the final but finished second in the golden boot race by one goal behind Haiti's Melchie Dumornay. She was, however, voted player of the tournament.[13][14] She was a finalist for U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year 2020 alongside Trinity Rodman and eventual winner Naomi Girma.[15]

In October 2020, Fishel received her first United States senior call-up by Vlatko Andonovski for a 27-player 11 day training camp in Commerce City, Colorado. The camp was the first in seven months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and included four college players with Fishel being the youngest.[16]

As of October 22, 2023

As of match played September 24, 2023