U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer after two world cups

The announcement was made by the USWNT on Monday, and Naeher released a statement on social media shortly after. In the statement, Naeher spoke of the “honor” of being a part of the USWNT and thanked her family, coaches and teammates.

“With immense gratitude and much thought, I have decided to retire from international folloball following the conclusion of these matches in Europe,” Naeher wrote. “This was a special team to be a part of and I am beyond proud of what we achieved on and off the field.”
The goalkeeper is now with the team in Europe, preparing for the final two friendlies of 2024.

Those friendlies, against England on Nov. 30 and the Netherlands on Dec. 3, will be Naeher’s final games with the USWNT. With 113 caps, Naeher is the second-most experienced player on this USWNT team behind captain Lindsey Horan, who has 159.

Naeher appeared first with the USWNT in 2014 and went to the 2015 World Cup as a backup to former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo before becoming the starting goalkeeper in 2017. A native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Naeher has led the team to glory throughout her tenure, including gold medals at the 2019 World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In 15 years with the national team, Naeher has established herself as one of the best American goalkeepers of all time and one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world. She is the only goalkeeper in women’s soccer history to have a save in a World Cup final and an Olympic gold medal match.