For 11 years, Christen Press became one of the most passionate soccer players around. Now her time with the USWNT and the NWSL has officially come to a close.
On Wednesday, Press, 37, expressed her emotions about walking away from the game, per Jeff Kassouf of ESPN.
“I'm retiring from professional soccer, and I've decided that this is my last season and my last few games,” Press told ABC's “Good Morning America.” “I feel a mix of everything. There's yes, there's relief, there's joy, there's excitement, there's fear, there's so much grief. I have so much grief, a part of me, a piece of me, I'm losing her.”
“I thought I would wait until I didn't want to play anymore. But I realized that time's never going to come and I can play, and my body can keep going. And I think it was really important for me to make this decision for myself before that became a different reality.”
From 2014 to 2025, Press played for three teams in the NWSL. They included the then-Chicago Red Stars, Utah Royals FC, and Angel City FC. On Sunday, Press will be honored by Angel City FC during their game against the Portland Thorns at BMO Field in Los Angeles.
She will finish with 64 career goals and 43 assists in the NWSL.
Christen Press's career with the USWNT
Beginning in 2013, Press played for the storied USWNT. During that stretch, she won two FIFA World Cups in 2015 and 2019. In 2021, she won a bronze medal at the Olympics in Tokyo.
In 2024, Press did not play for the national team at the Paris Olympics due to recovery from knee surgery.
She watched as the USWNT team won their first Olympic gold medal since 2012.
Altogether, Press scored 64 goals and had 155 caps with the national team. Her 64 goals ranks her 9th in USWNT history.
