American-born Aaliyah Farmer left Mexico's top soccer league because of harassment, coach says

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — American-born Aaliyah Farmer asked to be released from her team in Mexico's top women's soccer league after just one year because she was subject to harassment in the country, UANL Tigres coach Pedro Losa said Wednesday.

Losa did not provide details about the type of harassment Farmer said she faced. The 22-year-old was born in California but has Mexican descent and plays for the country’s national team. She was released earlier this week and signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Stars of the National Women's Soccer League.

“There was a red line in her process. She didn’t feel safe in the face of harassment that occurred and she let us know,” Losa said at a press conference. “As a club, our obligation was to support her.”

Farmer is the latest American-born player to leave Liga MX Femenil after saying they suffered some form of harassment. In October 2024, Lucia Yáñez quit playing for Puebla and decided to return to Los Angeles, where she was born.

Yáñez, who now plays for FAS in El Salvador, said people threw rocks at her home and harassed her during matches.

Scarlett Camberos left Mexico in 2023 and signed with Angel City of Los Angeles after suffering harassment online for more than a year. She returned to the Mexican league a year later and has been playing for Club America.

Non-American women in the league have also reported harassment.

“I want to speak out. Every day there are female players and women in society who feel this way, both on social media and in other areas,” Losa said. “No woman should feel intimidated, abused, or harassed.”

Farmer, who played four seasons at Southern California and won a Big Ten title in 2024, began her professional career in 2025 with the Tigres. She played 24 matches, 20 as a starter, and won the Apertura tournament championship in December. She made her debut with the Mexican national team in May 2025 and has played eight matches.

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