Written by John Brice
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Family environment and genetics supplied a measure of predestination for Korbin Albert.
Notre Dame’s precocious All-American midfielder was taking care of the rest in youth soccer – or even beforehand.
And by the time she was growing closer to middle school competition, Albert was flashing her ambidextrous skillset against adult males in her Chicagoland home.
Today, her historic ascent continues. Albert has inked with globally iconic Paris Saint-Germain to embark on her professional soccer career in the renowned Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
Oui, oui, c’est vrai. @Korbinalbert2 has signed with @PSG_Feminines!
Good luck in Paris! #GoIrish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/bLfIYMl61T
— ND Women's Soccer (@NDSoccer) January 31, 2023
Fresh off a two-year tour de force at Notre Dame, Albert is headed to a soccer institution where its stars are revered by single names.
“It’s not even (just) on the girls’ side; the men’s side has Mbappe, Messi and Neymar,” Albert, a Grayslake, Illinois, native, said. “So that influenced my decision a lot. Messi is an idol; a big person I look up to. Once I heard about PSG, I was like, ‘Wow! That’s crazy. There’s no way this is happening.’ But I just saw that opportunity and thought I just need to take it before it’s gone.
“The teammates here, my coaches, my friends, everyone that’s supported me has really helped me grow in that direction. I would say the coaches challenged me every single practice, every single game, to be the best that I could be. And I think that helped prepare me to be where I am at now.”
Her placement is on the precipice of history. Following a meteoric career for the Fighting Irish, during which her superlatives include 28 career goals and 65 points in just 44 career games, as well as a signature hat-trick signature outing against Florida State in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals, Albert is here because of lifelong preparation.
Her mother, Janet, a former track and field All-America selection at the University of Iowa, does not recall a time her daughter hasn’t had a ball at foot.
And no challenges could thwart Korbin Albert’s determination – in a family of athletes that included brothers DJ and Keaton playing collegiate soccer as well as sister, Teagon, being a soccer and swimming athlete at Olivet Nazarene University.
“It’s been a journey trying to get her always being challenged,” said Janet Albert, who’s raised a family of six siblings, four of them collegiate athletes. “I had her playing with boys, Croatian boys, boys that ended up playing pro later on, and then it came to a point where she outgrew that, so I had her playing with men when she was much younger.
“It’s been a challenge trying to keep her challenged. Probably in the last two years, she’s taken on a lot of development, bringing in different things to her game. Covid was a really good year for us. We worked on angles to goals and everything else we could. I’m just so proud of her.”
Irish coach Nate Norman has watched as Albert has become the embodiment of what Norman, who’s guided Notre Dame to a No. 1 NCAA Tourney seed and unprecedented success within the ACC, envisioned for the program.
“Obviously, you want to win games and develop people and send them off in the world, but ultimately you want them to achieve their dreams,” Norman said. “Just to be able to see her in this process and help to guide her and see her reach this level at such a young age is unbelievable. Just super proud of her and super excited; I just think she’s going to have a tremendous career.
“It’s a great start to that chapter of her life.”
With Olivia Wingate and Brianna Martinez selected in the most recent National Women’s Soccer League Draft, plus Albert’s international signing, Notre Dame women’s soccer has undeniably crested an elevated stature.
The merging of globally iconic brands – that of the Irish and of PSG – ushers in what Norman believes could be an unparalleled partnership.
“I think, to view it from a marketing standpoint, I can’t imagine two brands working together that could be more powerful, more influential and just significant than those two,” he said. “Those are two of the most iconic brands in the entire world. I’m trying to think of another athlete that could point to being a part of two programs like that who could say, ‘I’m a part of these two families.’
“I actually think this will make waves in terms of a lot people. It will be very eye-opening. To be able to go as a sophomore to the level she’s going, you can literally go straight in to play literally at the highest level in the world. I think it shows not only the level of college soccer and the level of our conference, but I think it also shows the level that our team is playing at right now, and I think that’s a really important, special thing.
“Now we can point to that and say, ‘Hey, you want an opportunity to play at a top-five or top-six club in the world? You can come here and develop and have a chance to go play for their clubs.’”
Still just 19 years old, Albert has a worldview perspective on the opportunity to be a global ambassador of Notre Dame.
“That was really significant. I mean, I love Notre Dame, so any chance I get to show the world what Notre Dame is and what they are for and what they stand for is really important to me,” Albert said, “and this is just another opportunity to do that.”
Moreover, Albert explained, Notre Dame soccer now has emerged worldwide.
“I think it just says that just because you’re not going to a Florida State-school or UNC, you can go to Notre Dame and be at these big clubs regardless of who you are and what you do,” Albert said. “As long as you put the hard work in, it doesn’t matter where you are. You can get to that stage.”
— ND —