FC Bayern Munich announced Friday that they have loaned Ana María Guzmán to the Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She will be with Utah until the end of the 2025 NWSL season.
At the age of 18, Guzmán signed with Bayern through 2027 after representing Colombia in the World Cup in 2023. Unfortunately, later that year she was injured while away with her national team later that year. She was finally able to make her Bayern debut this Fall and made eight appearance for the club — two with the first team and six with the second.
Bianca Rech, director of FC Bayern Women, had this to say about Guzmán’s loan the US, “After a great World Cup in Australia, Ana suffered a serious knee injury in the following international break. After almost a year out, Ana needs regular playing time at a high level to continue her development. With the Utah Royals, we weren’t just able to find an ambitious club, but also an environment off the pitch that Ana knows. That was very important in deciding this loan.”
The Utah Royals are prepping for their second season in NWSL after coming back from a three-year hiatus. They share a world class training center south of Salt Lake City with the men’s and academy teams, but the women have a brand new large wing with a weight room, locker room, and recovery rooms designated just for them.
Royals sporting director Kelly Cousins had this to say about bringing in Guzmán “We have watched Ana Maria’s performances with the Colombian National team and Bayern Munich and she has impressed us with her technical ability and work ethic on both sides of the ball. We believe that she will have an immediate impact… We are confident that she will continue to grow during her time here in Utah, and we are excited to have her join our squad.”
This will not be Guzmán’s first trip to Utah. She travelled with the Colombian national team and was on the bench for a scoreless draw against the US Women’s National Team.
Author’s commentary: As a Utah native and a season ticket holder with the Royals, I am excited to see a Bayern player come to Utah. It will be fun to watch her every week and see her develop. At just 19 years old, this loan assignment could be a vital step in her career, and there might not be many better places for her right now. I also hope that this will be the start of long-term relationship with the Utah Royals and maybe even Real Salt Lake (the men’s team).
