Alayah Pilgrim looks back on the season positively, even though she was slowed down several times by injuries. The AS Roma striker is all the more pleased to be back in the national team. The upcoming Men's World Cup also puts a smile on her face.
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- Alayah Pilgrim has won the championship and the Coppa Italia with AS Roma. The 23-year-old played her part in the successes, but was often absent through injury.
- Due to her injuries, Pilgrim has never played under Rafel Navarro. Nevertheless, she regularly communicated with the national team coach. He always gave her the feeling that she was important.
- At a national team press conference, the 23-year-old also talks about a trip to Paris, the anticipation of the Men's World Cup, her not-yet-engagement and her plans for the future.
Alayah Pilgrim has won the championship and the Coppa Italia with AS Roma. However, the 23-year-old was also slowed down by injuries on several occasions. However, she is "basically satisfied" with the season. She recalls the performances in the Champions League and most recently she also played her part in the 1-0 win against Juventus on the way to the Coppa Italia triumph. "I played the supporting role and so the emotions were great. I'm happy that it turned out like this."
Taking all competitions together, the 18-time international (5 goals) made 27 appearances for the Romans last season, in which she recorded 6 goals and 5 assists. She does not want to dwell on the setbacks of the past season. "Now I'm fit again and I've talked enough about injuries."
But she has learned a few things. "I now know better when I should take a step back and listen to my body. Maybe I have a body that needs a day more regeneration than others." In future, she wants to listen to the signals better and act accordingly.
Pilgrim has never played under Rafel Navarro
Due to her injuries, Pilgrim has missed all four games in the World Cup qualifiers so far - she was also unable to play in the first test matches under Rafel Navarro. In short: Pilgrim has yet to play a game under Pia Sundhage's successor.
Her last international appearance was several months ago: on October 24, 2025, Pilgrim was in the starting eleven in a test match against Canada and scored the only goal of the game. However, she was substituted at the break with an injury and had to leave the national team camp early. She was absent for the 4:3 test match victory against Scotland, the last game with Pia Sundhage on the sidelines.
But now the focus is on the future: "I'm happy to be back in the squad. Fortunately, I've recovered from my injuries and I'm ready to step on the gas here. The goal is clear: "We want to win both games (Malta and Northern Ireland) and win the group."
She does not know whether she will play an important role again straight away. For now, she needs to get to know Rafel better and find her role in the new playing system. However, she has been in frequent contact with the national team coach. "Even when I was absent due to injury, he always made me feel that I was important."
Pilgrim provides private insights
Pilgrim posted pictures of a trip to Paris on Instagram last week. She would have liked to have met tennis ace Belinda Bencic there. "I wrote to her because she had a match on Friday. Unfortunately, it was postponed and I ended up not being able to see her. I was only in Paris for one day with my boyfriend and then we had to take the train back because I had another event on Saturday. That was a bit of a shame. I would have loved to see her, but it was still nice."
Her boyfriend is Elijah Okafor, the brother of national team player Noah Okafor. This is another reason why she is already looking forward to the World Cup, which starts on June 11. "I'm now focusing on my national team games. But after that I'm going to the men's World Cup because my brother-in-law will be there. I'm going with my family to support him and Switzerland. I'm really looking forward to it." Brother-in-law? Is Pilgrim engaged? She shows her hand, on which no ring can be seen, and says with a loud laugh: "No, not yet. Maybe now during the vacations."
As far as her sporting future is concerned, there is a little more clarity. Although something could still happen there too. "I still have a contract with Roma until 2027. But of course, when the transfer window opens, there's always a bit of talk about it. But it's not a big issue for me right now. The focus is on staying fit and healthy. And the rest will follow."
