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Star attacking midfielder inks one-year deal to remain in DC through 2027
Washington, D.C. (09/15/2026) – The Washington Spirit and star midfielder Leicy Santos have agreed to a new contract, the club announced today. A standout part of the Spirit attack that has helped the club reach back-to-back NWSL Championships, Santos inked a new one-year deal to extend her tenure with the Spirit through the 2027 season.
“DC has become home for me and I’m very happy to be extending my time with the Spirit and to play in front of our fans for another season,” said Santos. “I have grown so much in my game across these past two years at the club as we built a strong foundation for success here. Let’s finish this season strong!”
Santos’ new contract is the latest key re-signing by the Spirit to keep its strong core intact moving forward. So far in 2026, Washington has secured star forward Trinity Rodman as well as star defenders Tara Rudd and Kate Wiesner to long-term deals as the club continues to compete for trophies.
“Leicy has provided tremendous quality and experience in our midfield since joining the Spirit in 2024,” said Sporting Director James Hocken. “We are excited to have her with the team another year.”
Since joining the Spirit over two years ago, Santos has appeared in 54 matches for the side, tallying nine goals and ten assists in the process. The star midfielder has established herself as one of the NWSL’s most dangerous direct free kick takers, having netted three so far in the league, including her highlight equalizer in the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup to help the Spirit win the club’s second trophy. Santos has also earned several league-wide accolades including a Best XI of the Month honor for her performance this past April and two NWSL Player of the Week awards.
At the international level, Santos has been a mainstay of the Colombian roster for the past decade. She has appeared for Las Cafeteras at two FIFA Women’s World Cups (Canada 2015 and Australia/New Zealand 2023) and two Olympic Games (Rio 2016 and Paris 2024). Earlier this year, Santos helped her home country qualify for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil, scoring four goals in CONMEBOL Women’s Nations League play. Across her senior international career, Santos has appeared in over 50 matches for Colombia.
Originally from San Sebastián within the town of Lorica, Colombia, Santos grew up playing soccer on boys’ teams before going to Bogotá to train with Besser Football Club at just 12 years old. Santos’ family eventually moved full-time to Bogotá to allow her to continue training at a high level. She moved to the United States in 2015 to play at the collegiate level for Iowa Central, winning a national championship in her only year at the school before turning pro.
The Spirit will take the pitch at Audi Field next on Saturday, September 26 when the side hosts Angel City FC. Kicking off at 6:30 p.m. EDT, the match will be Washington’s annual CVS Health Day. Tickets are available at WashingtonSpirit.com/tickets.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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