Auckland FC has confirmed four further signings to its Women’s Invitational XI squad, each bringing silverware from a different corner of the world.
Midfielder Claire Winter, goalkeeper Lindsey Harris, forward Nya Baccelli and rising Football Fern Ruby Nathan have combined NCAA, NWSL, European Cup, OFC and success, and are now converging on Eden Park next Saturday.
CLAIRE WINTER
Former UCLA player Claire Winter adds to the pool of international talent in the team. The 31-year-old midfielder represented the USA at youth level from 2009 to 2013 before helping UCLA win the 2013 NCAA National Championship and reach the national runner-up spot in 2017, later becoming captain of the Bruins in her final year as a student.
Since then, Winter has enjoyed a global professional career, turning out for Espanyol in Spain in 2018; Puerto Rico Sol in 2019, where she was the team’s highest goal scorer; Gotham FC in 2020, winning the Challenge Cup; Treaty United in Ireland in 2022; Thisted FC in Denmark in 2023; the Orlando Pride in 2024, claiming both the NWSL Shield and Championship; and most recently Lexington Sporting Club in the USL in 2025, where she recorded the team’s highest passing completion rate.
LINDSEY HARRIS
Lindsey Harris is a veteran goalkeeper who possesses extensive experience playing throughout the United States, Europe, and Saudi Arabia. A standout at the University of North Carolina from 2012 to 2016, Harris won the National Championship in 2012 and holds the school’s record for most saves in a single season, before going on to represent FH in Iceland in 2017 and Klepp Elite in Norway in 2018 and 2019, earning Keeper of the Year honours in her final season there.
She then joined Houston Dash in the NWSL from 2020 to 2022, winning the Challenge Cup in 2020, before moving on to Damaiense in Portugal in 2023 and Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia from 2023 to 2025, where she was named Saudi Women’s Premier League Keeper of the Year in 2024 and won the SAFF Women’s Cup Best Goalkeeper award in both 2024 and 2025.
NYA BACCELLI
Nya played for Asteras Tripolis in Greece’s 1st Division during the 2025-2026 season, where she made history as part of the first Asteras women’s team to reach the Greek Cup final and helped the club finish the regular season in 3rd place, its best-ever finish. That summer, she was also crowned a UWS Women’s Champion in 2025.
Her standout college career at USC Upstate saw her named NCAA Division 1 First Team All-Conference in 2024, as well as a Big South Regular Season and Tournament Champion. A two-time Offensive Player of the Week in 2023-2024, she capped her senior season with 8 goals, 20 points, and 3 game-winning goals, helping lead USC Upstate to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
RUBY NATHAN
20-year-old Football Fern Ruby Nathan is one of New Zealand’s most exciting young attacking talents. She represented NZ at both the U17 and U20 2022 Women’s World Cups, then won the Golden Boot with 8 goals at the OFC U19 Championship, helping the team qualify for the 2024 U20 World Cup. She made her senior debut in 2023 and has since earned 5 caps and 1 goal as a Football Fern.
At club level, before moving to Canberra United, she won the Kate Sheppard Cup in 2022 and the NRFL Premiership with Auckland United in 2023. She then spent 2023-2025 with Canberra United in the A-League, before returning to NZ with Eastern Suburbs in 2025 and now playing for Sydney Olympic FC.
Fans can expect the final player announcements in the coming days, which showcase the brightest domestic talent in Auckland.
The dominant, eight-time WSL champions, Chelsea FC Women, face off against the Auckland FC Women’s Invitational XI on Saturday 8 August, 4pm at Eden Park, in a landmark moment for New Zealand football. For the first time ever, local stars take the pitch against one of the world’s most dominant clubs in the NZ International Football Festival.
Get your tickets here.
