Five Things To Know About Mass. Native Alana Cook Prior To World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is set for July 20 through Aug. 20 in Australia and New Zealand, and here’s what you need to know about United States women’s national team defender Alana Cook.

1. Love for soccer runs in her family
Born in Worcester, Mass., Cook grew up in a soccer family. Her father Bryan inspired her to start playing at a young age, which she marked as the beginning of her career. Her dad was well known in Oxford, England, where he played for the local league side Oxford United in the '60s and '70s. Cook would watch whatever games were on TV on Saturdays and Sundays, and she and her dad bonded over Manchester United.

2. Attended and played college soccer at Stanford
Cook took her love for soccer with her to California after attending high school in New Jersey. She began her college journey at Stanford University in 2015, where she helped lead the team to four conference titles. She captained the Cardinal to the Pac-12 championship in 2017 and earned the Defender of the Year nod in 2018.

3. Played for one of the biggest European soccer clubs
Cook used an agent after getting her degree from Stanford to help her with her career outside the U.S. In 2019, her agent told her Paris Saint-Germain was interested in her, and Cook didn't want to miss out on the chance to play for one of the top clubs in Europe. She made 21 appearances with the side from 2018-21. The Mass. native then found her way onto the senior USWNT.

4. Her transfer fee is one of the largest in women's soccer
The OL Reign of the National Women's Soccer League acquired Cook from Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. When FIFA released its 2021 Global Transfer Report, the defender appeared third on the list of the top five transfers with the highest fee. The amount remains undisclosed, but the top five make up 60% of 2021 total spending.

5. Valuable piece of USWNT
Cook worked her way up representing her country, having done so since she was a teenager. She participated in many events both in the U.S. and internationally. The defender was called up to the USWNT in October 2019 and has been a vital part of the team.

"I knew choosing the USWNT would never be something I'd regret," Cook said in April 2022. per GOAL.