World Cup and Olympic champion Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer after more than a decade with the U.S. women’s national team.
Naeher is on the team’s roster for a few upcoming games in Europe, but those games will be her last after 11 years playing for her country.
“Every tear in the challenging times and disappointments made every smile and celebration in the moments of success that much more joyful. This has been a special team to be a part of and I am beyond proud of what we have achieved both on and off the field,” she wrote on social media on Monday. “The memories I have made over the years will last a lifetime.”
Naeher was part of the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at the Olympic Games in France this summer. She is the only American goalkeeper to record a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. She made a key one-handed save in stoppage time to secure the Americans’ 1–0 victory over Brazil in the Olympic final. Mallory Swanson, who scored the only goal, ran across the field to hug Naeher at the final whistle.
Naeher was known for her calm and steady leadership throughout her career. She is one of only three goalies to have played more than 100 games for the United States.
Naeher made her debut with the national team in 2014 and was Hope Solo’s backup at the 2015 World Cup, which the United States won. She became the team’s regular starter after the 2016 Olympics and was part of the squad that repeated as World Cup winners in 2019.
The 36-year-old has also played for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League since 2016.
Earlier this year she was outstanding in the semi-finals of the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup. Not only did she make three saves during a penalty shootout with Canada, she converted a penalty herself and put the ball neatly into the corner of the net.
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Afterwards she said: “Winning is the best feeling.”