After narrowly missing the playoffs a year ago, the North Carolina Courage are on the hunt for their return, currently sitting within the top eight teams in the NWSL. They have accomplished this through a high-octane attack that has scored 34 goals in just 19 games.
While a lot of the attention has gone to Ashley Sanchez and her 11 goals on the season, just as much shine should be shown to Evelyn Ijeh and her 10 goals. There were many different stops on the road to the NWSL for Ijeh, but now in her first season in the league, the newcomer is already emerging as one of the best attackers the NWSL has to offer.
Ascending Across Europe
Ijeh was born in Malmö, Sweden, a few hours down the road from Gothenburg. That’s where Ijeh would start her professional career, playing with IFK Göteborg as early as at 16 years old. She would be there from 2017 to 2020, before having two brief stints with BK Häcken and Lidköpings FK in 2021.
In 2022, Ijeh joined Växjö DFF, which would mark both her most successful and final stint in her home country of Sweden. Her time in Växjö included a resounding 32 goals in 42 appearances, numbers that made Ijeh destined for bigger and greater things.
After a brief stint playing soccer in Mexico, Ijeh headed off to play for AC Milan, by far the highest profile club she had played for in her career. There, her impressive scoring numbers continued by scoring 19 goals across 47 games with one of Italy’s biggest clubs. Most notably, Ijeh’s 12 goals in the 2024-2025 season had her in the race for the Golden Boot, cementing her as one of the world’s best ascending attackers.
Dominating as an NWSL Newcomer
Fast-forward to early 2026, and Ijeh was ready for the jump to the NWSL. That is when she transferred to North Carolina, signing on with the club on a four-year contract. While it’s been just less than a year with the Courage, Ijeh’s NWSL has already been a wild success.
In 18 appearances this season, Ijeh has 10 goals and 2 assists, forming quite the dynamic duo with Ashley Sanchez and her 11 goals and 3 assists. Ijeh started the season quietly, going without a goal contribution in her first seven games. However, once she became acclimated to NWSL soccer, she transformed into one of the league’s most dangerous attackers.
Ijeh went on to score 3 goals and earn 2 assists across her next four games. This opened the floodgates, as she would continue to go on a tear, scoring goals, which included a hat trick against Orlando and a first-half brace in Washington. Now with 11 games to go, Ijeh has a serious shot at winning herself the NWSL Golden Boot, trailing just Barbra Banda and teammate Ashley Sanchez for the most goals on the season.
Making an Impact for Home
While Evelyn Ijeh was making a name for herself through professional soccer, she was also quietly becoming a force for her home country of Sweden. Ijeh was identified early by Sweden, making a wealth of appearances for Sweden’s youth national teams.
However, it was in 2024 that Ijeh broke through and made her first appearance with the senior Swedish national team. She played in three of Sweden’s 2024 Euro qualifying games, which included scoring a goal against Luxembourg in the semifinals. This year, Ijeh has notched two more international appearances, coming on for two of Sweden’s World Cup qualifiers.
An Attacker on the Rise
Evelyn Ijeh’s career has been one of continual improvement and ascension. While starting relatively small and playing for select clubs in Sweden, she quickly made her way to the NWSL and became one of the league’s most dangerous attackers.
This ascension can also be seen while playing for her home country, grinding her way to playing minutes in big-time qualifier games for Sweden. Still at just 25 years old, Ijeh has great potential, possessing all the tools to become not just one of the NWSL’s best forwards, but also one of the world’s best.
Featured image via @evelynijeh
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