Aria Nagai

Aria Nagai
Nagai with North Carolina in 2024
Personal information
Full name Aria Nagai[1]
Date of birth (2001-12-08) December 8, 2001
Place of birth Herndon, Virginia, U.S.
Height 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Dallas Trinity
(on loan from the Utah Royals)
Number 19
Youth career
Braddock Road Youth Club
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 Princeton Tigers 55 (2)
2024 North Carolina Tar Heels 27 (3)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2025– Utah Royals 16 (0)
2026– → Dallas Trinity (loan) 0 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of May 10, 2026

Aria Nagai (born December 8, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for USL Super League club Dallas Trinity, on loan from the Utah Royals. She played college soccer for the Princeton Tigers and the North Carolina Tar Heels, winning the 2024 national championship with the Tar Heels.

Early life

Nagai was raised in Herndon, Virginia, the middle of three children born to Masaaki and Yuka Nagai.[2] She played multiple sports growing up, including tennis, swimming, gymnastics, and figure skating.[3] She began playing soccer when she was about ten after watching the Japan national team win the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.[4] She played ECNL club soccer for Braddock Road Youth Club.[2] She played high school soccer at Chantilly High School, in Fairfax County, Virginia, and was named the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020.[5]

College career

After her freshman season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nagai played three seasons for the Princeton Tigers from 2021 to 2023, making 55 appearances (42 starts) and scoring 2 goals. She received All–Ivy League honors two times, including once on the first team.[6]

Nagai joined the North Carolina Tar Heels as a graduate transfer in 2024, starting all 27 games and scoring 3 goals.[2] Two of those goals came in the span of about two minutes during a 4–2 away loss to the defending national champions Florida State.[7] In the semifinals of the ACC tournament, Nagai assisted Trinity Armstrong's go-ahead goal from a corner kick in a 2–1 win against Duke.[8] In the NCAA tournament, she played every minute of the last three rounds as North Carolina won its 23rd national title and first since 2012.[2][9]

Club career

Nagai joined the Utah Royals as a non-roster trialist in the 2025 preseason, soon impressing head coach Jimmy Coenraets and the coaching staff.[10] She said she hadn't planned to play professionally but welcomed the opportunity.[10] On March 4, the Royals announced that they had signed Nagai to a short-term salary cap exempt contract.[11] She made her professional debut on April 25, replacing Cece Delzer as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 road loss to the Houston Dash.[12] On August 3, soon after signing a new salary cap exempt contract until the end of the season,[13] she made her next appearance and first professional start in a 1–1 draw with the reigning champion Orlando Pride.[14]

On December 10, 2025, after making 11 appearances during her rookie season,[15] she signed a one-year contract extension with the Royals on a salary cap exempt deal.[16]

On July 31, 2026, Nagai was sent on loan to USL Super League club Dallas Trinity for the rest of the year.[17]

Honors and awards

North Carolina Tar Heels

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "May 2025 Commencement" (PDF). University of North Carolina. p. 34. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Aria Nagai". North Carolina Tar Heels. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Tiger Origins". Princeton Tigers. October 22, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Xfinity What's Good | Aria Nagai Shares about Her Utah Journey". Utah Royals. August 15, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Chantilly's Nagai Named 2020 Gatorade VA Girls Soccer POY". Rivals.com. June 17, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Aria Nagai". Princeton Tigers. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  7. ↑ Hood, Justin (October 25, 2024). "FSU takes down UNC on Senior Day". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  8. ↑ Crowther, Harry (November 8, 2024). "In first game back with UNC, Trinity Armstrong leads upset of No. 1-seed Duke in ACC semifinals". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  9. ↑ Koh, Michael (December 9, 2024). "UNC Women's Soccer Beats Wake Forest to Win 23rd National Championship". Chapelboro.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Petterman, Ben (September 5, 2025). "Inside the Royals' Newest Duo: Claudia Zornoza and Aria Nagai". Utah Royals. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Utah Royals FC Signs Three Players to Short Term Contracts". Utah Royals. March 4, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Utah Royals FC Fall 1-0 On The Road To Houston Dash". Utah Royals. April 25, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  13. ↑ "URFC Midfielder Aria Nagai Signs New Salary Cap Exempt Contract". Utah Royals. July 29, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Utah Royals FC Draw Against Defending NWSL Champions 1-1 Away in Orlando". Utah Royals. August 3, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Aria Nagai 2025 Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  16. ↑ "URFC Signs Goalkeeper DeAira Jackson & Midfielder Aria Nagai To Salary Cap-Exempt Contracts For 2026 NWSL Season". Utah Royals. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Utah Royals FC Loans Midfielder Aria Nagai To Dallas Trinity FC For Remainder of 2026 Season". Utah Royals. July 31, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
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