Placer United Alumna, Kellie Pagador, Called Up to Philippine Women’s National Team
Posted On October 4, 2026 by PUSC
Placer United alumna Kellie Pagador is returning to the international stage after being called up to the Philippine Women’s National Football Team as the Filipinas prepare to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Pagador has joined the national team for its October FIFA international window, which included two friendlies against Peru on October 9 and 13 in Chincha, Peru.
Her selection represents an exciting new chapter in a soccer journey that began here in Northern California and took her from Placer United to Stanford University—and now to the senior international level.
A Roseville native and Antelope High School graduate, Pagador joined Placer United in 2013. During her youth career, she earned United Soccer Coaches All-American honors at both the U17 and U19 levels and was named to the U16/17 Development Academy West Conference Best XI.
She went on to play four seasons for Stanford University from 2021–2024, appearing in 66 matches with 37 starts as a defender and logging more than 3,300 minutes for one of the nation’s premier collegiate programs.
Pagador helped Stanford capture the 2022 Pac-12 Championship and reach consecutive NCAA College Cups in 2023 and 2024. A team captain during her senior season, she was also recognized for her classroom achievements, earning 2024 CSC Academic All-District and ACC All-Academic honors, along with two Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll selections. 
Her path back to international soccer makes this latest accomplishment especially meaningful.
After suffering an ACL injury during her senior season, Pagador stepped away from competitive soccer as she began the next chapter of her academic and professional life. A Psychology graduate from Stanford, she worked as a research coordinator in Stanford’s Mind & Body Lab, studying areas including mindset, health, performance, and healing.
She has since begun pursuing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of North Texas, where she is also part of the Center for Sport Psychology and Athlete Mental Health. Her research interests include psychological resilience during injury recovery, mindset interventions, athlete identity, body image and eating behaviors.
Now, nearly two years after her final collegiate season, soccer has opened another remarkable door.
Pagador brings previous international experience to the opportunity. She was part of the U.S. Youth National Team system beginning in 2017 and competed internationally with U.S. youth teams in China and Italy.
Her October call-up, however, marks a new opportunity with the Philippines as the Filipinas build toward the 2027 World Cup.
Philippines head coach Mark Torcaso specifically identified Pagador among the new players being evaluated during the October window, describing her as a “fresh face” as the program looks for players who can compete for a place on its World Cup roster.
For Placer United, we are incredibly proud to follow Kellie’s journey. From a young player developing in our club to Stanford captain, scholar, researcher, and doctoral student—and now a Philippine Women’s National Team call-up—her story reflects achievement far beyond the soccer field.
Congratulations, Kellie! Your Placer United is proud of you and excited to see where this next chapter takes you.