| Alayah Pilgrim | |
| Birth Date: | 29 April 2003 |
| Birth Place: | Muri, Switzerland |
| Height: | 1.71m |
| Position: | Forward |
| Currentclub: | Roma |
| Clubnumber: | 17 |
| Youthyears1: | 2012–2017 |
| Youthclubs1: | FC Muri |
| Years1: | 2017–2020 |
| Clubs1: | Aarau |
| Caps1: | 27 |
| Goals1: | 18 |
| Years2: | 2020–2022 |
| Clubs2: | Basel |
| Caps2: | 34 |
| Goals2: | 13 |
| Years3: | 2022–2024 |
| Clubs3: | Zürich |
| Caps3: | 37 |
| Goals3: | 11 |
| Clubs4: | Roma |
| Caps4: | 0 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2024– |
| Nationalyears1: | 2018–2019 |
| Nationalteam1: | Switzerland U16 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 5 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2019–2020 |
| Nationalteam2: | Switzerland U17 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 7 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2021 |
| Nationalteam3: | Switzerland U19 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 2 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam4: | Switzerland |
| Nationalcaps4: | 9 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 3 |
| Pcupdate: | 19:35, 31 October 2023 (UTC) |
| Ntupdate: | 14:00, 9 April 2024 (UTC) |
Alayah Pilgrim (Arabic: عالية بيلكريم; born 29 April 2003) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a forward for Roma and the Switzerland women's national team.
Pilgrim is a youth product of her local club FC Muri. She wasn't allowed to play football as a youngster, and so secretly started playing with Muri until a coach intervened and convinced her family. She played with the boys until the maximum allowable age, as the club did not have a women's section.[1] In 2017 she began her senior career with Aarau in the Ligue Nationale B at the age of 15.[2] In 2020 at the age of 17, she moved to Basel on a 2-year contract.[3]
On 10 October 2022, Pilgrim moved to Zürich, where she played in the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time.[4] She helped Zürich win the 2022–23 Swiss Women's Super League, scoring in the final - a 3–0 win over Servette FC Chênois Féminin on 2 June 2023.[5]
On 26 January 2024, AS Roma announced the signing of Pilgrim.[6]
Pilgrim was born in Switzerland to a Moroccan father and Swiss mother.[7] She was a youth international for Switzerland, having played up to the Switzerland U19s. In August 2022, she was called up to the Morocco women's national team for the first time.[8] She declined the invitation, as she received it last minute and didn't have time to decide.[7] A couple of months later in October 2022, she was called up to the Switzerland women's national team for the first time, but did not make an appearance.[9]
Just before the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, she opted to formally represent Switzerland internationally. She debuted with them as a substitute in a UEFA Women's Nations League loss to Italy in September 2023.[10]
2023–24
Pilgrim studied as a health professional and had an internship at the Muri Hospital in the summer of 2021.[11] Outside of football, she also works as an influencer.[11]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 31 October 2023 | 1–4 | 1–7 | 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations | |||
| 2. | 23 February 2024 | 2–0 | 4–1 | Friendly | |||
| 3. | 9 April 2024 | Dalga Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan | 0–3 | 0–4 | UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying |