Queer Soccer Star Christen Press Is Hanging Up Her Cleats After A Trailblazing Career
The two-time World Cup champion and Angel City FC forward says she’s ready for her next chapter after more than a decade at the top of women’s soccer.
Feature image by Lyndsay Radnedge/ISI Photos/Getty Images
After more than a decade at the top of her game, two-time World Cup champion Christen Press has announced she’ll retire at the end of the 2025 NWSL season. The Angel City FC forward, who helped shape modern women’s soccer both on and off the field, shared the news Wednesday morning on Good Morning America, saying, “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.”
The announcement comes after a 14-year professional career that spanned continents. A California native and Stanford standout, Press played for clubs including the Chicago Red Stars, Utah Royals, and Manchester City before becoming Angel City’s first signing in 2021. She also brought home two World Cup titles and an Olympic bronze medal.
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Her decision to retire was influenced in part by her wife, former USWNT star Tobin Heath, who stepped away from the sport earlier this year. “She would absolutely hate me saying this, but [it influenced me] a lot,” Press told ESPN. “I think it is time for my family to move on to our next chapter. We’re going to be part of this game forever, but it’s time for it to look different for us.”
That “next chapter” is already taking shape. Press and Heath co-founded RE-INC, a media and advocacy company focused on equity and creative freedom, and co-host The RE-CAP Show, a podcast series about women’s soccer and culture.
Throughout her career, Press faced criticism for choices that prioritized mental health and self-worth in a system that rarely allowed players control over their careers. “At the time, I remember, in every situation, I felt like the villain,” she told The Athletic. “It’s been a really long time since I felt that. And now, when I walk into any stadium, I feel like I have been celebrated above what my soccer skills have done for people’s lives because people have come to see why I am the way I am.”
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Her story was rarely straightforward. She played abroad when leagues in the U.S. faltered, spoke up about abuse in women’s soccer before it was widely acknowledged, and refused to play for teams that treated her like a commodity. “I believed that I was a full human and that I didn’t have to go to a team, being shipped off like cattle,” she said, recalling her 2018 trade from Chicago to Houston without her consent. “Most people at the time felt what I was doing was wrong and rude. I wanted—and deserved—a life beyond football.”
After a devastating knee injury three years ago left her sidelined for over a year, fans were ecstatic to see her return to the pitch last season. While, she still loves the game and is in physical shape to continue playing, Press admitted that she needed to take herself off the pitch before a possible future injury might decide her time is up for her. “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,” she told ABC News.
Now, Press says she’s ready to slow down—at least for a while. “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,” Press said. She plans to travel, focus on RE-INC, and spend time around people “who think I’m awesome.” As she looks toward the future, she’s grateful to be leaving behind a league that’s found its stride. “I got this season to play in a fully professionalized environment, and in a lot of ways, it feels like the house that we built. Now other people get to live in it. That’s such a gift.”
