Mélissa Bethi

About

Mélissa Bethi (Arabic: ميليسا بتحي; born 18 November 2005) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Born in France, she plays for the Algeria national team. She has previously played for French clubs Lyon, Nantes, and Metz.

Born in Firminy to Nasser and Sandra Bethi, Melissa is of Algerian descent. In 2013, at the age of 8, Bethi began playing football in her hometown with FCO Firminy Intersport and has been a key player, playing in the first team of the club’s youth age categories from U9 to U15. after 7 years with the club, she joined the Olympique Lyonnais academy.
On 24 September 2023, Bethi made her debut for the reserve team in Division 3 Féminine in a 5–0 win over Arlac Mérignac. On 1 May 2024, she scored her first goal for the team to seal the win against Le Puy.
On 24 April 2024, Bethi made her debut for the first team of Lyon in a 2–1 win over Guingamp.
In July 2026, Bethi signed with the Washington Spirit through the 2029 NWSL season, with her official move to the Spirit’s active roster slated to come after the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.