Current Kilo Middle School Cougar Jordynn Koria hasn’t even played high school soccer yet and is already knocking on the door of international history as just an eighth grader.
The 14-year-old was selected to represent the island nation of Samoa at the Under-17 World Cup in Morocco in October 2025.
Koria is one of three under the age of 15 on the Samoan National Team as they prepare for the World Cup in Morocco. The majority of the Samoan team is 15- and 16-year-olds.
The Samoan National Team just played in Texas at the Dallas Cup, which is the highest attended International Youth Soccer Tournament in the world with over 600 teams on both the boys and girls side. Koria is on the first ever Pacific Island nation team to compete in the Dallas Cup. Samoa also has never played in the Under 17 World Cup until this fall, and there hasn’t been a Pacific Island team to place at the World Cup in boys or girls divisions.
International soccer clubs the likes of Borussia Dortmund (Germany) and Villareal C.F. (Spain) are some of the teams that Koria and Samoa have played so far in the tournament.
In the group stage, Koria helped Samoa finish atop Group A as Samoa fell in the semifinals of the Dallas Cup.
“This tournament is more than just competition — it’s a vital part of our preparation for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco this October. Every match is an opportunity to grow, learn, and sharpen ourselves against some of the best youth teams in the world,” according to a post on Samoa Football’s Facebook account.
Head Coach Juan Chang said this in the same post after Samoa reached the semifinals: “This is an excellent test for us and a massive step toward Morocco. Finishing first in Group A in the Dallas Cup is not easy. We are looking forward to the quarterfinals tomorrow, but most importantly, we are taking every learning opportunity for our World Cup preparation.”
Koria is slated to attend Thomas Jefferson High School in the fall, but obviously will be on the coast of West Africa in October for the U-17 World Cup.
