Madison Ayson


Madison Francis Ayson is a professional soccer player who plays as a defender for A-League Women club Sydney FC. She played college soccer for the Cardinal women's soccer|Stanford Cardinal] and the Xavier Musketeers before starting her professional career with the Houston Dash of the NWSL and Canberra United. Born in the United States, she has been called up to represent the Philippines national team.

Early life

Born in Roseville, California, Ayson grew up alongside two older brothers in the neighboring town of Rocklin, one of whom died from suicide in January 2022. She played soccer and ran track at Granite Oaks Middle School, where she was a member of a 4x100m relay team who broke the school record. Ayson then attended Rocklin High School, where she captained the soccer team for three years and helped lift the school to several division playoff appearances. Outside of school, Ayson played club soccer for the San Juan Spirits before switching to Davis Legacy SC in 2017.

College career

Ayson matriculated at Stanford University from 2019 to 2022, playing for the Cardinal soccer team in all four years of her tenure at Stanford. As a freshman, Ayson played as a center back and did not start in any of her 13 collegiate appearances. She was part of the Cardinal team who won the 2019 [NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament|2019 NCAA College Cup], which culminated in a penalty shootout victory over North [Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer|North Carolina]. Ayson recorded her first Cardinal goal on August 29, 2021, in a 6–0 drubbing of San Diego State. In her time at Stanford, she made 44 appearances and 5 starts.
In May 2023, Ayson transferred to Xavier University as a graduate student. She played with the Musketeers women's soccer program for one year, racking up 22 appearances. Ayson also scored a career-high 3 goals, netting her first in a 5–1 victory over Western Kentucky on August 27, 2023.

Club career

After initially training with Houston Dash as a preseason non-roster invitee, Ayson signed a short-term contract with the Texan club on April 27, 2024. She made her professional debut on July 20, coming on as a substitute in an NWSL x [Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup] defeat to the Kansas City Current. At the end of the season, Ayson and the Dash agreed to a mutual contract termination, giving Ayson the chance to explore opportunities abroad.
On November 29, 2024, Australian A-League club Canberra United FC signed Ayson to a one-year contract. One day later, she made her A-League debut in a 2–1 loss to the Central Coast Mariners. On March 14, 2025, Ayson scored her first A-League goal in a match against Western United FC, but she also later conceded a game-winning own goal that helped Western United beat Canberra 4–3.
Following the expiration of her contract with Canberra, Ayson signed with fellow Australian club Sydney FC in August 2025. She tallied her first club goal in Sydney FC's first match of the season, opening the scoring with a header against Melbourne City FC on 31 October.

International career

Ayson's family traces back to the Ilocos Sur region of the Philippines, making Ayson eligible to represent the United States or the Philippines internationally. She received her first international call-up with the Filipinas on March 26, 2025, ahead of two April friendlies against the United [Arab Emirates women's national football team|United Arab Emirates].

Honors

Stanford Cardinal