The Washington Spirit announced Wednesday the signing of Italian defender Lucia Di Guglielmo to a three-year contract with a team option for the 2029 season, adding another experienced international presence to the club’s roster ahead of the 2026 campaign.
As part of the deal, the Spirit will pay a transfer fee to Di Guglielmo’s former club, AS Roma, where she spent the past four and a half seasons competing in Italy’s top-flight Serie A. “Joining the Washington Spirit family is a great opportunity and a great responsibility,” Di Guglielmo said. “I bring with me determination, discipline and a strong desire to win. I’m excited to see where this new challenge will take me and to push beyond my limits.”
Di Guglielmo arrives in Washington after a highly successful run with Roma, helping the club capture back-to-back Serie A titles in 2023 and 2024 while qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Champions League in each of her seasons with the team.
“Lucia is a great addition to an already strong back line as we prepare for the 2026 season,” said Spirit General Manager Nathan Minion. “Her extensive experience competing at a high level in Europe will help her transition seamlessly into our club, and we’re excited to welcome her to DC.”
The Pisa native has been a fixture with the Italian women’s national team since making her senior debut in 2021. She has represented Italy at two UEFA Women’s European Championships (2022 and 2025) and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. At this summer’s Euro, Di Guglielmo started four of Italy’s five matches, logging 339 minutes as the team advanced to the semifinals for the first time in 28 years.
Di Guglielmo becomes the latest Italian player to join the NWSL, following Spirit forward Sofia Cantore, who made history earlier this year as the league’s first Italian player. The Spirit are coming off two consecutive NWSL Championship appearances and will open preseason in January before the 2026 regular season begins in mid-March.
