The Portland Thorns have secured the services of Canadian soccer sensation Jessie Fleming from Chelsea FC, a move that bolsters their midfield with a bona fide winner and a gold-medalist Olympian. The 25-year-old playmaker will don the Thorns' jersey through the 2026 season, her transfer anchored by a $255,000 fee with conditionals, as CBS Sports reported. Awaiting the completion of international formalities, Fleming's arrival in Portland comes highly anticipated, with her visa and International Transfer Certificate still pending.
During her spell in England with Chelsea, Fleming snagged an impressive collection of silverware, including three consecutive Women's Super Leagues and FA Cups, her talent meriting the FA Women's Super League Player of the Month in November 2021 and a Ballon d'Or nomination after her scintillating performance at the Tokyo Olympics, according to an article obtained by KGW and additional details from CBS Sports.
Fleming, who debuted for the Canada Women's National Team at just 15 years of age, has amassed over 120 caps and was instrumental in Canada clinching their first-ever Olympic Gold in soccer at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, Fleming scored the tie-breaking goal in the finals against Sweden, which propelled the game into penalties and ultimately led to their victory, as she detailed in a club statement covered by the official Portland Thorns FC website.
Thrilled about the transfer, Fleming expressed her eagerness to be part of the renowned Portland community, "I am very excited to be joining the Portland Thorns, more than anything, I am looking forward to being a part of the incredible community surrounding the team that is so often talked about with Portland," Fleming said, her comments echoing through statements obtained by KGW. She joins fellow Canadians Janine Beckie and Christine Sinclair in Portland, making the Thorns a formidable force with a trio of talent from north of the border, ready to compete at the highest levels of women's soccer.
Portland Thorns General Manager Karina LeBlanc didn't mince words discussing the importance of a championship mindset, which Fleming possesses both from her club and international experiences, as quoted in an interview by the official Portland Thorns FC website. With her collegiate accolades from UCLA where she was a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy and a three-time All-American, Fleming is set to add a new dimension to the Thorns' midfield with her powerful box-to-box presence and sharp vision.
