Making The Case: Onyeka Gamero for Chipotle U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year

Seventeen-Year-Old Forward Earns Second Consecutive Nomination
By: Presented by Chipotle

Forward Onyeka Gamero has been nominated for the 2023 Chipotle Young Female Player of the Year Award following an impressive 2023 campaign in which she starred for the U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team at the 2023 Concacaf U-20 Championship and kicked off her professional career in Spain.

The criteria to be eligible for the 2023 Chipotle U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year is any player who has participated in a training camp with any of the USA’s Women’s Youth National Teams during the 2023 calendar year. Players can win the U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year Award only once.

READ MORE: 2023 Young Female Player of the Year Nominees

Fans once again have the opportunity to vote for all U.S. Soccer end of year awards on ussoccer.com and at the links below. The fan vote will account for 15 percent of the overall vote tally, with the rest coming from National Team players, coaches, media, and other constituents.

VOTE NOW: Fan Voting for 2023 Player of the Year Awards

Making the Case for Onyeka Gamero as the 2023 Chipotle Young Female Player of the Year:

  • After an excellent run with the U.S. Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team, Gamero moved up to the U-20 WYNT was named to the roster for the 2023 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship.
  • Despite being one of the youngest players on that roster at only 17 years of age, Gamero was one of the teams’ top performers in the tournament and helped the USA qualify for the 2024 FIFA U-20 World Cup by virtue of a second-place finish.
  • Gamero appeared in all five games for the USA at the Concacaf U-20 Championship, making four starts. She scored one goal – which came in the championship match against Mexico – and tallied two assists, both of which came in the USA’s 4-0 group stage win over Jamaica.

WATCH: GAMERO SCORES AGAINST MEXICO IN TITLE MATCH 

  • She also played in two games for the U.S. U-17 WYNT this year, scoring in both games against England in February, a wild 5-4 loss and a 3-1 win against the Young Lionesses.
  • In June of 2023, Gamero chose to forgo her college eligibility and signed with Barcelona “B” in Spain, beginning her professional career with the Spanish powerhouse’s second team. Gamero has tallied two goals and one assist in nine appearances for the club across all official competitions.

BIG MOVES TO BARCELONA


This is Gamero’s second nomination for Young Female Player of the Year, earning her first nomination last year.