Three Players Selected To U.S. FIFA U-20 World Cup Roster

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Three current and former North Carolina women's soccer players have been named to the 21-person roster which will represent the United States at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup, as announced by U.S. Soccer on Thursday morning.

UNC junior Maddie Dahlien, as well as newly-turned professionals Savy King and Ally Sentnor, will represent the Stars and Stripes in Colombia from Aug. 31-Sept. 22.

Dahlien is one of 12 college players on the U.S. U-20 roster. Sentnor and King – the respective No. 1 and No. 2 overall draft picks – make up two of the eight pros currently playing in the National Women's Soccer League. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2004, are age-eligible for the World Cup.

The U.S. will begin its gold medal quest in the 24-team tournament on Sept. 1 in group stage play against Spain, the reigning champion. Team USA is in Group C along with Spain, Paraguay and Morocco. Matches will take place at four stadiums in three Colombian cities with the final in Bogotá's El Campín Stadium.

More info about the 2024 U-20 World Cup can be found here, and the complete schedule can be found here.

Dahlien, King and Sentnor were part of the Concacaf qualifying roster in 2023 that secured the USWYNT's spot in the U-20 World Cup. Already with World Cup experience is King who was on the U-17 roster and Sentnor who played on the U-20 squad, both in 2022.

Sentnor, a forward, enters the tournament as the USA's most-capped player and top scorer with 16 caps and nine international goals. Fellow forward Dahlien has scored four times in her eight appearances while King has 12 caps as a defender.

A creative finisher that characterizes a talented striker, Dahlien impressed at the Concacaf U-20 Championship last June in what was only her second-ever event with the USWYNT. After not playing in the USA's opening game of the tournament, she made her inaugural start for the USA against Jamaica and scored a hat trick in her first cap.

Dahlien and Sentnor were the USA's leading scorers at the World Cup qualifying, each scoring four times.

During her sophomore campaign with the Tar Heels last season, Dahlien saw action in 21 matches and earned a starting role in five. She finished the year having logged 662 minutes with one goal, three assists and five points, highlighted by a goal and an assist against Florida State.

A fast and physical defender, King was one of the country's top players at the U-17 WYNT level before moving up to the U-20s in 2023. She started all five games at the Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship last June to help the U.S. to a runner-up finish.

King began her freshman season at UNC soon after, starting all 23 matches and leading the team with 2,030 minutes at center back. She was named to the All-ACC Second Team, ACC All-Freshman Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Second Team in addition to twice being tabbed the ACC Defensive Player of the Week.

A year after captaining the U-20 team in the 2022 World Cup, Sentnor played in all five games for the red, white and blue at the 2023 Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship, earning four starts. She totaled four goals and two assists to lead the USA which included a brace in a 5-2 win over Canada to win the group.

Returning to Chapel Hill for her redshirt-sophomore season, Sentnor started all 23 contests and concluded the season with a team-high 11 goals, seven assists and 29 points, including four goals and three assists in the NCAA Tournament. She was named the ACC Midfielder of the Year, also garnering United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-America, All-Atlantic Region First Team and All-ACC First Team praise.

Currently in their rookie seasons, Sentnor (Utah Royals) and King (Bay FC) earned the respective No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in the 2024 NWSL Draft. They became the second Tar Heel duo to receive the first and second overall Draft picks in UNC history, joining Crystal Dunn (No. 1, Washington Spirit) and Kealia Ohai (No. 2, Houston Dash) in 2014.

U.S. Soccer held five training camps in the leadup to naming the FIFA U-20 World Cup roster with King participating in all five. Sentnor was part of four camps and Dahlien took part in three.

Stay up to date with UNC women's soccer by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Maddie Dahlien

Savy King

Ally Sentnor

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