Edwardsville Sophomore Joins U-16 National Soccer Team

EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School sophomore Madison Kline has been selected to represent the United States at the Friendship Cup in Türkiye from February 16-27, 2026, after being selected to compete with the U-16 Girls National Team.

For Kline, this tournament is another step towards a lifelong goal.

"The dream I've always had is to play on the national team, and obviously, when I was younger, I didn't know about the youth national team, but I always knew I wanted to play on the women's national team and play on TV. So, this is the first step to that."

Kline is no stranger to soccer. Her father played in college and her mother in high school. Kline played soccer recreationally before joining St. Louis Scott Gallagher.

“I think I was around 10 years old when I decided that soccer was the sport that I wanted to try and be the best in and see how far I could go,” she said. "So, I ended up switching over to the Missouri side to play ECNL, which is what I'm in right now, and that's when I really started to realize, this is what I want to do."

Earning a spot on the national team is not like a traditional tryout. Players are scouted at showcases and called into camps when coaches believe they're needed. Kline received her first call-up in November 2024, and since then has traveled to training camps in Atlanta and California and played matches in Germany and England.

"It's not like a set team you try out for," she explained. "They call you in when they think they need you, and you never really know if you're going to get called into the next one."

Playing center back, Kline has already gained valuable international experience. For a high school student balancing schoolwork with international travel, that can be tricky.

She’s learned to manage by speaking with her teachers and completing as much work as possible in advance.

The coaches help by making time for academics. "They're really good about that, especially when they know we're in school, they give us time during the days to try to work on it," she said. "It's definitely the trickiest part about it all, but it's worth it."

Kline has faced some of the world's top youth soccer programs. In Germany, she played against the Netherlands and the host nation. In England, she faced the English team twice.

Now in Türkiye, she'll add Spain and Denmark to that list.

In addition to the competition, she’s also looking forward to seeing palm trees and enjoying weather in the 60s, which she described as “perfect for soccer weather.”

For now, Kline is focused on making the most of each opportunity, knowing that nothing is guaranteed.

"Just because I made this camp doesn't mean I'm going to make the next one, or the next one after that," she said. "But I hope to, obviously."

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