Les Marseillaises, a professional soccer team based in Southern France, made headlines this week with the addition of a new player to their roster hailing from Southlake, Texas. Lexi Missimo, a promising 23-year-old athlete, is set to embark on an exciting journey as she transitions from the United States to France, a move filled with both excitement and apprehension.
Missimo’s journey has been documented in a series titled “Raising Her Game,” which focuses on her career alongside her University of Texas teammates, highlighting the opportunities available to them that were not afforded to earlier generations of female soccer players. The club she has joined competes in France’s top division, the Première Ligue, and also has a men’s team, Olympique de Marseille, participating in Ligue 1.
Reflecting on the evolution of soccer, it’s notable that during the era when Missimo’s parents played—her father at North Carolina and her mother at TCU—opportunities for American players, particularly women, in top European leagues were scarce. Missimo’s career began in the Gainbridge Super League, one of the two major women’s leagues in the U.S., before she made the leap to compete in Europe.
This transition could significantly enhance her career trajectory. After facing injuries and coaching changes at Dallas Trinity FC, Missimo now has the chance to play against elite talent in the Première Ligue. Although Les Marseillaises have not yet established themselves among the league’s top teams, the acquisition of a player with her impressive collegiate track record and experience with U.S. youth national teams demonstrates their ambition to elevate their performance.
The men’s side of the club boasts an impressive history, including nine Division I championships and a Champions League title. They have consistently ranked among the top teams in Ligue 1, finishing fifth last season after a strong runner-up performance the year prior. In contrast, the women’s team has often struggled, finishing ninth out of twelve in the 2025-26 season and having spent much of its history outside the top tier of French women’s soccer. Therefore, Missimo’s potential contributions could be pivotal not only for her team but also for the league as a whole.
The competitive landscape of women’s soccer globally is often dominated by a few elite teams. In the Première Ligue, for example, the top three—Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain, and Paris FC—have historically overshadowed other clubs, with only a handful of exceptions breaking into the top ranks over the years. This trend is evident in several European leagues, where the disparity in performance and resources among clubs can hinder the overall development of women’s soccer.
In contrast, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States has experienced a more varied championship landscape, with multiple teams capturing titles since its inception in 2013. The Gainbridge Super League also reflects this competitive balance, with different teams vying for playoff spots each season. The structure and financial models of these leagues have fostered a more level playing field compared to many European counterparts, where investments in women’s teams have historically lagged behind men’s programs.
However, as interest in women’s soccer continues to grow, more clubs are recognizing the potential benefits of investing in their women’s teams. Marseille, now under American ownership, has the opportunity to build on their recent promotion from the second division and aim for greater success. If Missimo excels in her new role, she could either move to a larger club or help elevate Les Marseillaises to a more competitive standing within the league.
In terms of attendance, the women’s team has seen notable growth; last season, they averaged 4,806 fans per home game, placing them second in the league. This figure is a significant increase from just a few years ago, indicating a growing interest in women’s soccer. Despite this progress, U.S. leagues still maintain a strong lead in overall attendance figures, illustrating the challenges European teams face in attracting larger crowds consistently.
Researching the impact of Title IX highlighted how it has been instrumental in expanding opportunities for female athletes within the U.S. college system, contributing significantly to the growth of women’s soccer domestically. The success of the U.S. Women’s National Team has also inspired global recognition of women’s soccer, prompting clubs in soccer-centric countries to explore the potential of developing professional women’s leagues. Bringing talented players like Missimo from the U.S. into European teams could be a crucial step toward achieving that goal.
