Lo’eau Kaiulani LaBonta

Lo'eau LaBonta made history on 31 May 2025, when she stepped onto the pitch for the United States women's national team against China PR at the age of 32 years and 74 days — the oldest debutant in the history of the USWNT. She went on to earn further caps that year against Jamaica, Portugal and New Zealand.

The midfielder's route there was long. Born in Rancho Cucamonga, California, she attended Los Osos High School, where she was named All-CIF Southern Section Best Offensive Player, before playing college soccer at Stanford between 2011 and 2014. She won the NCAA National Championship in 2011 and captained the side alongside a teammate in her senior year, graduating with a degree in Product Design.

Her professional career began unevenly. Sky Blue FC drafted her 37th overall in 2015, but she made only six appearances before being waived. A move to FC Kansas City in 2016 gave her a firmer footing — 22 league games and two goals — until the club folded in 2017. During that spell she also had a loan at Western Sydney Wanderers in the Australian W-League. When Kansas City dissolved, she joined Utah Royals FC in 2018, making 42 appearances before that club, too, folded in 2020.

Stability came with the expansion side Kansas City Current in 2021. LaBonta has since become the team's captain and a key figure in midfield, passing 100 appearances for the club and scoring 21 goals. Her form was recognised with a place in the NWSL Best XI in 2022, and she signed a contract extension with Kansas City in January 2024, a year before the national team call finally arrived.