Lilly Reale joins Boston Legacy FC after winning the NWSL championship last year with Gotham FC.
Lilly Ann Reale, born August 12, 2003, in Boston, Massachusetts, plays as a defender for the Boston Legacy FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Reale played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins and earned All-American awards three times, as well as a national championship title in 2022. Reale was also chosen as the Defender of the Year for the Pac-12 or Big Ten three times. The beginning of her professional career took place with Gotham FC in 2025, when she won the NWSL Championship, as well as the Rookie of the Year award in the first season of her professional career.
Reale participated in the youth international tournaments for the U.S. national team, such as the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and debuted in the senior national team in 2025. During high school, she played as a forward and a center back. She scored 15 goals as a freshman and 21 as a sophomore before dedicating herself as a defensive player.
She initially committed to Boston College, but then later on transferred to UCLA. Reale was a four-year starter for the Bruins, making a total of 83 appearances. In her sophomore season in 2022, Reale was named the Pac-12 Defender of the Year and second-team All-American by United Soccer Coaches. In the 2022 national title game, UCLA went down 2-0 to North Carolina but recovered late to win 3-2 in overtime. Reale played every minute of the NCAA tournament and was named its Most Outstanding Defensive Player. After the season, she was awarded the Honda Sports Award as the best player in college soccer.
In 2025, Gotham FC signed Lilly Reale to a three-year contract to start off her career as a professional soccer player. Previously as, a center back, Gotham FC’s coach switched Reale to a left back. She played in all 26 games of the season and started 21 of those. She had one goal and logged over 1,900 minutes in the regular season. At the end of the season, she won the NWSL championship with Gotham and she won the Rookie of the Year award.
On June 17, 2026, Reale was traded to Boston Legacy FC in exchange for $350,000 and signed a four-year contract with her hometown club through 2029.