Star goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher announces her retirement from the U.S. women’s soccer team

Alyssa Naeher, the U.S. women’s soccer team’s longtime star goalkeeper, announced Monday that she will retire from the national team after its year-ending games in the next few days.

“Having the opportunity to be a part of the USWNT for the past 15 years has been the greatest honor,” the former Penn State star said in a statement on social media. “When I began this journey, I never could have imagined where it would take me.”

The 36-year-old Connecticut native backstopped the 2019 World Cup and 2024 Olympic champions, and was a backup on the 2015 World Cup-winning squad. She was also the starter on the 2021 Olympic team that won bronze and the 2023 World Cup team that fell short in New Zealand and Australia.

That surprise elimination in the round of 16 certainly wasn’t Naeher’s fault. She conceded just one goal in four games, and not only made a save in the penalty-kick shootout vs. Sweden but scored an emphatic shot herself. She also got a piece of the shootout-winning goal that crossed the line by barely an inch.

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She did it again twice this year against longtime rival Canada. In both the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals and SheBelieves Cup friendly tournament final, she saved three attempts and scored one.

Those weren’t Naeher’s first heroics, either. In the 2021 Olympic quarterfinal against the Netherlands, she saved a penalty kick in regulation and two in the game-deciding shootout, and made many big saves in open play.

At the 2019 World Cup, Naeher had perhaps her most famous moment: a penalty-kick save on England’s Steph Houghton to preserve a 2-1 win that sent the U.S. on to the final.

Finally, there was this year’s Olympics. Back in the country where she triumphed five years ago — including the same Paris and Lyon stadiums that hosted the Americans’ biggest wins — Naeher made seven saves in the semifinal win over Germany, including an acrobatic leaping stop late in the second extra period.

In the gold medal game against Brazil, she made four stops, including a big dive in the closing minutes.

In all, Naeher has played 113 times for her country since her debut on Dec. 18, 2014. That game, a 7-0 win over Argentina, was the first of her 68 shutouts.

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“Every tear shed in the challenging times and disappointments made every smile and celebration in the moments of success that much more joyful,” Naeher said. “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. The memories I have made over the years will last me a lifetime.”

Naeher gave an interview to the Men in Blazers’ The Women’s Game podcast in which she admitted she’d considered the decision for most of this year. When she finally made it, she said she felt “very at peace,” and “almost a little more free” to enjoy her swan song.

“If you ask any of my friends, the running joke has been I’ve been saying I’m going to do this for like four years,” she said. “I think it just feels like the right time. We’ve had such an incredible year. I’ve done everything individually that I could have ever dreamed of accomplishing, and more, with this team.”

She also acknowledged the reality of the national team’s transition to a new era of young players. There will be plenty of uncertainty about her successor, since none of the other candidates — especially longtime backups Casey Murphy and Jane Campbell — has clearly shown readiness to take the mantle. But Naeher will be 39 when the 2027 World Cup kicks off in Brazil, and 40 when the 2028 Olympics kick off in Los Angeles. She didn’t hide from that.

“The U.S. national team is cyclical, so now we’re looking very much ahead to ‘27, ‘28,” she said. “I was so proud and happy to be part of this past year and the transition from kind of that older generation into this new school. I loved being a part of that. And now I just feel like it’s time to pass the baton, and to move on, and just be grateful for the memories and the career and everything we’ve been able to accomplish as a team.”

Naeher has long been renowned for her quiet-but-witty personality. She’s never been the most talkative person on camera, but she’s been beloved by many teammates behind the scenes. As the national team’s news release Monday noted, Naeher “achieved one of her life goals” when her name was once an answer in the New York Times’ crossword puzzle. This past July, she floored fans when she made a cameo appearance in one of Trinity Rodman’s TikTok videos.

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Naeher’s soccer journey began as a Parade All-American in high school. She starred at Penn State from 2006-09, winning first-team All-American honors in 2007 and ‘08. In 2010, she began her club career in the NWSL’s predecessor league, Women’s Professional Soccer, with the Boston Breakers. When that league folded after its 2011 season, she went to Germany and played two years for Turbine Potsdam, winning a Frauen-Bundesliga title in 2012.

In 2013, she returned to the U.S. to join the NWSL when it launched. She first played for the new iteration of the Breakers from 2013-15, then was traded to the Chicago Red Stars. She has played there ever since, and will continue playing there.

Naeher’s national team farewell will start Saturday, when the U.S. plays England at famed Wembley Stadium in London (12:20 p.m. Philadelphia time, TNT, Telemundo 62, Universo, Max, Peacock). The Americans then wrap up their year on Dec. 3 when they face the Netherlands in the Hague (2:45 p.m., TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, Peacock).

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