10 things to know about the 18-year-old American World Cup star who skipped college and her senior prom to go pro

• Alyssa Thompson is the youngest player suiting up for the US Women's National Team at the World Cup.

• The 18-year-old forward is the first teenager since 1995 to make an American World Cup roster.

• Thompson spoke to Insider about her rapid rise to stardom ahead of her World Cup debut.

The future of the US Women's National Team is already here.

Alyssa Thompson is the youngest player on the roster of the reigning champions and the first teenager in nearly 30 years to compete on behalf of the US at a World Cup. No pressure.

But the 18-year-old forward from Los Angeles knows how to grapple with high expectations. She's been in the limelight, first as a highly touted college prospect, then as Nike's first sponsored high school athlete, and after that as the youngest-ever National Women's Soccer League draftee.

Now, Thompson is ready to tackle the moment on international soccer's biggest stage. She spoke to Insider about her rapid rise to stardom and how she's preparing for her World Cup debut.

Here's what you need to know about the USWNT wunderkind looking to make her mark Down Under.

Thompson skipped college to go pro.

Thompson was, unsurprisingly, a highly touted college recruit even in her early teenage years. In 2020, when she was just 15 years old, the Los Angeles native verbally committed to join a Stanford Cardinal program fresh off of its third national championship in a decade.

But three years later, after Portland Thorns prodigy Olivia Moultrie paved the way for teenagers to join the National Women's Soccer League, Thompson opted to forgo her NCAA eligibility and go pro.

"I was always thinking I would play in college and would go from there," she told Insider. "A high school player had never been drafted in the NWSL, so that wasn't really a thought. And then it became a real option in the couple of months before the NWSL Draft."

She became the first high school athlete to sign a name, image, and likeness deal with Nike.

Before she had a team or even knew she was going pro, Thompson inked a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Nike, becoming the first-ever high school player to do so.

She shared her experience exploring Nike's campus and becoming a new face for the brand on Instagram upon announcing the groundbreaking deal.

She was the first pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.

Months before she was set to graduate high school, Thompson became the youngest-ever NWSL draft pick when Angel City FC — her hometown club — selected her with the first overall pick of the 2023 draft. Each of the 47 players chosen after her had competed at the college level.

"Since turning pro, I've just wanted to show I can compete and deliver against the best in the world," Thompson told Insider. "And I want to keep getting better every day."

She's undoubtedly proven herself in the NWSL. Through 15 games thus far in her rookie season, Thompson has earned 12 starts, scored three goals, and added an assist.

Going pro hasn't changed her fitness and nutrition routines very much.

For many athletes, there's a considerable adjustment that comes with going pro. For Thompson?

"Not really," she said. "I've been focused on training and recovering well over the last few years, so I still do things like cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers when I can. And I really like yoga."

She hasn't had to change much in the way of diet, either. Her go-to pregame meal involves a sandwich of some kind, she says. But once the final whistle sounds, she'll opt for something "more fun" like pizza, a burger, or an acai bowl.

"I'm fortunate that I can still mostly eat what I want," Thompson said.

Thompson missed her high school graduation and senior prom for Angel City games.

Thompson's rookie season in the NWSL kicked off before her senior year at Harvard-Westlake High School came to a close. Though she had to miss some major milestones — including her senior prom and high school graduation — because they conflicted with game days, Thompson managed to celebrate the end of an era in her own way.

Her new teammates were eager to help out however they could. On Thompson's prom night, Angel City brought the festivities to the field — complete with ostentatious outfits and photo shoots with prom poses:

Her decision to go pro paid off' when she made the US Women's National Team's 2023 World Cup roster.

Thompson was with her family when she received the fateful and "pretty crazy" phone call from USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski informing her that she would be competing on behalf of the Stars and Stripes at the 2023 World Cup.

"It was great to see their reactions, especially given how much they've helped get me here," Thompson told Insider. "I was kind of relieved, just knowing the hard work and my decision to go pro paid off in this way."

Thompson is playing alongside some of her childhood idols.

Thompson is the first teenager to suit up for the US Women's National Team at a World Cup in nearly 30 years. Some of her teammates, meanwhile, are in the twilight of their careers as they approach their 40s. As such, Thompson grew up watching many of the team's veterans compete on the national team.

"It's been amazing to be with all these players I've looked up to," she said. "I still can't believe that sometimes. They're all so welcoming and helpful."

"The best advice I've gotten from the vets is just to be myself and enjoy the process," Thompson added. "I'm here for a reason and I just need to do my thing."

Thompson wasn't yet 2 years old when Megan Rapinoe made her senior national team debut in July 2006. She was just embarking on elementary school when Alex Morgan burst onto the scene for the Stars and Stripes.

In all likelihood, Thompson doesn't remember a Women's World Cup in which the USA did not prevail. But the significant age gap between the budding star and her veteran counterparts doesn't faze her much.

"On the field, you forget about age," Thompson said. "Off the field, everyone has their different styles, but we think less about age and more about having a good group of personalities."

She's already starring in commercials for major brands.

Thompson's still just a teenager, but she's already making her way to the small screen in a new commercial for Volkswagen. When it comes to seeing herself on TV, Thompson admits "it'll probably be a bit strange at first."

"It's definitely not something that was a goal of mine or something I envisioned," she added.

In the ad, the young star is caught whistling while juggling a soccer ball on a near-empty field; the only other person in sight is a groundskeeper painting the lines onto the grass. She makes her way past a man polishing the hallway floors and offers him a fist-bump as she continues juggling.

She bugs some teammates as she juggles by the treatment tables and through the locker room, then finally arrives at her Atlas Cross Sport in the parking lot — keeping the ball off the ground all the while.

"I haven't done anything like this before," Thompson said. "It was fun to see the process and how all of the different shots and scenes get turned into the final commercial."

"I'm pretty comfortable being around a soccer field, so that helped," she added.

Thompson's sister and 'best friend,' Gisele, is bound for soccer superstardom, too.

Yes, you read that correctly; there's another Thompson sister destined for US soccer greatness coming down the pike. Gisele is just one year younger than Alyssa and, like her older sister, committed to Stanford during her teenage years.

Gisele has competed on several youth teams within the US Soccer ranks. She looks poised to follow Alyssa's path to the pros and, perhaps, a World Cup of her own.

"My parents both just encouraged Gisele and I to play lots of sports when we were younger and to be active and to have fun," the elder Thompson told Insider. "There was never any expectation of where that had to lead. And with Gisele there, I always had a best friend wherever we went, so that kept things fun."

"As we got better and more focused on soccer, our parents helped us find the right teams, drove us around, and all of that stuff," she added. "They've always let us decide what we wanted to do, but they've been so awesome and supportive to help make that happen."

Even as she embarks on the World Cup, Thompson can't believe she's realizing her dream.

Thompson has played four games and earned two starts with the US Women's National Team, but she says"it's definitely still surreal" to be in New Zealand preparing to play in the World Cup.

"So much has happened in the last few months," Thompson said. "It's been a dream of mine to be on the national team and play at the World Cup."

But she's not satisfied with merely getting there. Now her goal is "to play well and help the team win."

Read the original article on Insider