Christen Press, one of the most celebrated players in U.S. women’s soccer history, is officially hanging up her cleats.
At 36, the two-time World Cup champion and Angel City FC forward announced her retirement from professional soccer, sharing the emotional news in an interview with “Good Morning America” that aired Wednesday.
Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC in the second half at BMO Stadium on September 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
“I’m retiring from professional soccer, and I’ve decided that this is my last season and my last few games,” Press said. “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.”
Over the course of her remarkable career, Press earned 155 caps and scored 64 goals for the U.S. Women’s National Team, helping lead the squad to two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles.
Known for her speed, technical precision and calm under pressure, Press became a defining figure of the USWNT’s golden era.
Her influence extended well beyond the field. As a trailblazer for equity in women’s sports and a founding member of Angel City FC, Press helped shape the next generation of women’s soccer in Los Angeles.
Three years ago, Press suffered a devastating knee injury that sidelined her for more than a year.
Despite a determined comeback and return to the pitch last season, she said her decision to retire came from wanting to choose her moment, not have it chosen for her.
“I thought I would wait until I didn’t want to play anymore,” she explained. “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.”
Press will play her final Angel City home game this Sunday, fittingly, not far from where her journey first began.
Soccer, Press added, has always been a family affair.
Her father, a former college football player, was the first to spark her love for the game.
“He had three girls, and so this is how he connected to us,” she shared. “And I think because of that, it became so important to my mom to have that connection between my dad and I.”
But it was her mother, Stacy, who became her source of strength during the most difficult moments of her career.
In 2018, as her mother battled brain cancer, Press didn’t want to leave her side until her mom insisted she rejoin the national team. That same week, she scored a game-winning goal against Spain.
“My dad was upstairs watching the game on his iPad, and he ran downstairs to my mom to show her the goal,” she recalled. “And my dad told me that my mom took his hand and she smiled and she actually passed away that night. And I think in some ways it gave her a little peace.”
Press’s next chapter will be one of partnership — both in life and in passion.
Christen Press attends the 2024 Grassroot Soccer World AIDS Day Gala on December 03, 2024 in New York City.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Earlier this year, she and former teammate and longtime partner Tobin Heath revealed that they are married, after quietly tying the knot years earlier.
“There was a time where a lot was off limits and Tobin and I’s approach was wanting to keep our relationship sacred and out of the public eye,” she said. “We actually have been married long before this year. And you know, my manager, my family [were] just as surprised as you were, but everyone knew that I was in [a] committed relationship.”
Together, the couple co-founded a media company and co-host The RE-CAP Show podcast, where they talk candidly about life, love, and the game that brought them together.
“It’s authentic, because it is just the same conversations we often are having here at the house,” she said.
Heath retired from soccer earlier this year, and Press admitted that her wife’s decision influenced her own.
“She would absolutely hate me saying this, but a lot,” she said. “I think it is time for my family to move on to our next chapter, we’re going to be a part of this game forever, but it’s time for it to look different for us.”
As she is about to step off the field for the last time, Press said she feels grateful for her career, her family, and the city that raised her.
“I get to leave this game with a family, a dog, a wife, a house in the city that I grew up in that I love, and that feels like a really soft landing,” she said.
