Angel City FC signs 16-year-old Phair

Angel City Football Club's youth investment continues with the addition of Casey Phair, the youngest player in Women's World Cup history while playing for South Korea last year.

Phair, 16, joins Angel City via NWSL's U-18 Entry Mechanism on a contract through 2026.

“The first time I came to Los Angeles was last September,” Phair said. “I trained with Angel City and fell in love with the culture and L.A. All of the players were super welcoming and I really enjoyed everything about the city.”

Phair, who was born in South Korea to an American father and Korean mother, was the first Korean-American to receive a callup to the South Korea senior national team. She also competed at the U-17 level.

The family later moved to the U.S, with stops in New Hampshire,

Massachusetts, Tennessee and lately New Jersey.

“The talent pool for women's football is expanding,” Angel City general manager Angela Hucles Mangano said. “Her maturity and experience on the world stage in this past Women's World Cup will help her have a smooth transition to the professional ranks.

“We're excited to add depth to our front line and allow Casey an opportunity to grow and develop at Angel City.”

The 5-foot-10 forward played in all three of South Korea's group stage matches at the World Cup and made her first start in a 1-1 draw against Germany.

She will be the third teenager to join Angel City in the past two seasons. In December, Angel City signed Gisele Thompson through the U-18 Entry Mechanism just days before her 18th birthday. Last season, the club selected Alyssa Thompson as the No. 1 overall pick.