FC KANSAS CITY LANDS RAFAELLE SOUZA

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (September 15, 2024) – The 2024 NWSL Champions, FC Kansas City acquired the rights for Brazilian forward Rafaelle Souza, who was waived by the Houston Dash last Friday, off of the NWSL Waiver Wire.

Souza, 23, was selected by the Houston Dash in the second round of the 2024 NWSL College Draft and was recruited from Ole Miss where she played three seasons and finished as the school’s all-time leader in goals with 44 and points with 108.

In 2024, Souza was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year besides making the All-SEC first team and the NSCAA All-Region First Team and All-America Second Team.

“We identified Rafaelle as a potential draft pick coming out of Ole Miss last year so we are happy to have her on board.” FC Kansas City’s director of soccer operations Huw Williams said.

Before making the move to Ole Miss, Souza attended the Universidade Do Estado Da Bahia in Salvador, Brazil where she was born and raised.

In 2024, she made her first appearance for Brazil’s senior women’s national team where she started and played 45 minutes in a 2-1 loss against Canada on March 24. Souza also appeared in multiple youth national team competitions.

During her NWSL debut season, Souza appeared in 12 games and recorded one assist on the game-tying goal against the Boston Breakers on April 20.