Player Profile: Maria Thorisdottir

Born on 5 June 1993, Maria Thorisdottir is a 32-year-old defender for the Norway national team, with 71 caps and 3 goals to her name. Though currently without a club, she has previously played for Klepp, Klepp II, Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion. Standing at 5ft 7in, she is predominantly right-footed.

📸via inside.fifa.com

Thorisdottir is a seasoned Norwegian defender known for her strength, aerial ability, and composure in possession. A regular for the Norway national team, she has featured for top Women's Super League (WSL) sides, including Chelsea and Manchester United. Most recently at Brighton, she is now a free agent after the 2024/25 season. Her experience and leadership make her an asset to any defensive unit.

Best recognized for her defensive reliability and aerial dominance, Thorisdottir thrives in 1v1 situations and is composed under pressure. She frequently shuts down opposition attacks through well-timed tackles and strong positional awareness. Comfortable playing out from the back, she favours a low-risk possession-based style and is a steady presence in both back-four and back-three systems. Her communication and leadership qualities further enhance her value, especially alongside a more mobile or progressive centre-back.

During the 2023-24 season, she played all 20 WSL matches for Brighton, recording 2 assists. She demonstrated excellent passing accuracy - 83.7% overall and 90% on long passes - highlighting her reliability in distribution. She was also notably effective in 1v1 duels.

Thorisdottir made her debut for the Norwegian senior team on 6th March 2015, just four days after playing for the U23s. She was part of Norway's squad at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Despite missing the entire UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying campaign due to injury, she was named in the final tournament squad. In January 2018, she scored her first international goal. She featured in all eight matches of Norway's 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign and was selected for the final squad in May 2019. She was also part of the team at UEFA Women's Euro 2022.

Upon signing for Brighton, head coach Melissa Phillips said:

"Maria brings a wealth of experience to our team, both as an international with Norway and from her spells at the top level in the WSL with Chelsea and Manchester United. We are really excited... her knowledge an presence will be very important as our squad continues to grow."

With top-level experience for both club and country, Thorisdottir remains a valuable defensive asset. Though currently a free agent, her strong performances in 2023-24 prove she can still compete at a high level. Whether she joins another WSL side, returns to Norway, or steps into a leadership role elsewhere, her next move could provide stability and guidance to a younger or developing back line.