Christen Press retirement: USWNT legend, two-time World Cup winner to call it a career at end of NWSL season

After a remarkable career that includes two FIFA Women's World Cup titles and recognition across multiple club leagues, U.S. women's national team and Angel City FC forward Christen Press has announced she will retire following the conclusion of the NWSL season. 

"It's hard to find the words to say goodbye to a sport that has defined my life for over three decades. Football has given me everything, and I will miss being on the pitch so very much. Thank you to my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and community for this beautiful ride. I promise we will continue to reimagine sports in this next life," Press said in a statement.

The long-time attacker, known for her iconic cut-backs and clinical finishing, leaves a profound impact on and off the field. As she closes her playing career with Angel City FC, the 36-year-old closes a chapter on an influential tenure in women's soccer. The California native built the beginning of her career at Stanford University and broke school records.

She became the all-time leading scorer with 71 goals, while also setting new benchmarks for career points (183), assists (41), and shots (500). She left the University as a Mac Hermann trophy winner and two-time runner-up at the NCAA Women's College Cup.

Press is part of a larger group of players who helped domestic league soccer grow in the United States. She was part of Magicjack in the WPS and was named 2011 Rookie of the Year. After the league folded, Press was among a wave of U.S. players who continued their club careers in Europe, and played in Sweden with Goteborg FC and Tyreso FF where she became the first American to win the Damallsvenskan Golden Boot (2013) and scored 25 goals in 26 games for Tyreso.

As the NWSL launched, Press returned to the states in 2014 to play in the new American league. She became the Chicago Red Stars' leading goal scorer with goals (35) during her time with the club. She later joined Utah Royals FC in 2018 after a brief return in Sweden, and also played in England's Women's Super League with Manchester United in 2021 before returning to her hometown, Los Angeles, and became Angel City's first player signing. 

The success across club performances led to titles at the international level. Press leaves the U.S. women's national team with 155 appearances and 64 goals, while being a key member of the USWNT's iconic era, winning back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and 2019, and a 2020 Olympic bronze medal. She was an integral part of the USWNT's legal battle against U.S. Soccer for equal pay.

Her impact had a ripple effect on and off the pitch and forever changed women's soccer in the United States when she came forward alongside former teammates and anonymous sources with her early experiences in NWSL. She discussed her time in Chicago and the conditions of a toxic workplace and abusive environment. The reporting led to more investigations into player wellness across women's American soccer, including the Sally Yates report and the NWSL and NWSL Players Association joint investigation report. 

Press' legacy will continue through advocacy, entrepreneurship, media, and philanthropy. She's been a long-time global ambassador and board Member for Grassroot Soccer, an adolescent health organization that uses soccer as a tool to educate and inspire youth in developing countries.

In 2019, she launched RE-INC, a gender-neutral lifestyle brand that aims to reimagine the status quo and create a more inclusive landscape in sports media. The RE-CAP Show she hosts alongside her wife, Tobin Heath, has become a platform to center female athletes and champion inclusivity. She's been vocal about the importance of visibility and respect for LGBTQ and Black players and communities. 

Her final season with Angel City has been a powerful comeback story. Press returned in 2024 following a grueling two-year journey that included four surgeries after tearing her ACL in 2022. She scored her first home goal since her injury in May 2025.

Press's career is an inspiring story of a great goalscorer who ultimately became a builder of greater things. As she savors her final moments on the field, she leaves the game in a far better position than she inherited. She'll be remembered not only for the records she broke or titles she won, but for the many she inspired along the way and the barriers she helped tear down.