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Jeff Kassouf
United States midfielder Korbin Albert has agreed to terms to join eight-time European champions OL Lyonnes on a free transfer, a source with knowledge of the deal confirmed to ESPN.
Albert will join Lyonnes following two and a half seasons at French rival Paris Saint-Germain.
The 21-year-old was part of the USWNT’s Olympic gold medal-winning team last year. She scored in the group stage and started in the 1-0 win over Brazil in the final.
Albert has 25 caps for the USWNT. She is with the USWNT U23 team in the current window, alongside fellow players with senior-team experience like Jaedyn Shaw.
Off the field, Albert came into the spotlight in March 2024 when social media posts of her purportedly supporting anti-LGBTQA+ content, and a comment that made light of former USWNT winger Megan Rapinoe’s torn Achilles, surfaced online. Albert apologized in a statement on social media.
“I’ve sat down with her, I’ve had several conversations with her in and around these things to make sure that self-development piece is there,” USWNT coach Emma Hayes said in November.
Albert will join fellow American midfielder and USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps at Lyonnes, who on Monday announced Jonatan Giráldez as its new head coach.
Joe Montemurro just departed after only one year as the Lyonnes head coach to take over the same role with the Australian women’s national team.
Giráldez left the Washington Spirit after less than a year to join Lyonnes, who shares Michele Kang as an owner.
French outlet Le Parisien was the first to report Albert’s move to Lyon.
Lyonnes, whose women’s team was recently rebranded from Olympique Lyonnais, has won 18 of the last 19 French league titles. They are eight-time champions of Europe — a record — but haven’t won since 2022.