Zara Sona Chavoshi (born December 6, 2002) is a professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Born in the United States to Canadian parents, she represents Canada internationally.
Chavoshi played college soccer for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and helped lead the team to their first national title game appearance.
Born in Newark, Delaware, Chavoshi grew up in Potomac, Maryland, and began playing soccer at age five. She attended Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, and played club soccer for McLean Youth Soccer, winning two ECNL championships.
Chavoshi played 18 games (all starts) in her freshman season with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in 2021. She played every minute in the postseason as Wake Forest made the semifinals of the ACC tournament, falling to Florida State, and the second round of the NCAA tournament, falling to Michigan. In her sophomore season, she played 16 games (14 starts), missing the very start of the season while at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Wake Forest lost to South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In her junior season, she featured at right back and made 15 appearances (14 starts), helping hold opponents to a program-record-low 15 goals. Wake Forest lost to Clemson in the first round of the ACC tournament and missed the NCAA tournament.
Chavoshi started all 24 games and played the most minutes on the team in her final season in 2024, helping Wake Forest achieve one of its best-ever seasons as one of many seniors on the team. Playing at center back alongside Laurel Ansbrow, she helped shut out No. 2 Virginia 3âÂÂ0 and No. 1 Stanford 1âÂÂ0, making Wake Forest the first team to beat the top two ranked teams consecutively. She also helped defeat defending national champions Florida State 4âÂÂ1, ending their 32âÂÂgame unbeaten streak. They lost to Florida State on penalties after a 1âÂÂ1 draw in the semifinals of the ACC tournament. In the NCAA tournament, she helped lead Wake Forest to their first national title game in program history, beating Stanford 1âÂÂ0 in the semifinals before losing 1âÂÂ0 to North Carolina in the final. After the season, she was named second-team All-ACC, third-team All-American by TopDrawerSoccer, and fourth-team All-American by United Soccer Coaches.
In 2022, Chavoshi played with McLean Soccer in the USL W League. In 2023, she played with Racing Louisville FC B in the USL W League.
The Orlando Pride announced on January 13, 2025, that they had signed Chavoshi to her first professional contract, a one-year deal. She was the team's first college signing after the abolition of the college draft. She made her professional debut on March 23, coming on as a late substitute for Angelina in a 2âÂÂ0 win against NJ/NY Gotham FC. On May 3, in her first professional start, she played 90 minutes and cleared a Reilyn Turner shot off the goal line as the Pride lost 1âÂÂ0 away to the Portland Thorns.
Chavoshi received her first call-up to the Canada youth national team in July 2022. She was selected to the roster for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and started one game in the competition, a 3âÂÂ1 loss to Nigeria, as Canada finished bottom of their group. Chavoshi was called into training camp with the United States under-23 team, practicing alongside the senior national team, in March 2025.
Two months later, in May 2025, Chavoshi received her first senior call-up with the Canadian national team before two friendlies against Haiti. She made her senior international debut on June 3, starting in a 3âÂÂ1 victory over Haiti. On June 27, 2025, she scored her first international goal in a 4-1 victory over Costa Rica.
Chavoshi is one of three children born to Soheil and Cindy Tran-Chavoshi. Her father is originally from Kermanshah, Iran; her mother from Cần Thá, Vietnam. Both of her parents immigrated to Canada, where they met and became citizens, before moving to the United States, where Chavoshi was born.
Individual