'There's relief, there's joy' - Christen Press announces retirement after legendary career with USWNT and Angel City

Press announced her decision to retire during an emotional appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America." The 36-year-old forward confirmed she will finish the current NWSL season with Angel City FC before hanging up her boots for good, bringing closure to a storied 14-year professional career that began in 2011.

"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. I thought I would wait until I didn't want to play anymore.

"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."

When Press stepped onto the field for the 2019 World Cup semifinal against England, she faced immense pressure replacing an injured Megan Rapinoe in the starting lineup. Just 10 minutes into the match, Press silenced any doubters with a perfectly placed header that gave the U.S. an early lead in what would become a 2-1 victory.

Press retires with 64 international goals across 155 appearances for the national team, placing her ninth on the all-time USWNT scoring list - one goal ahead of her former teammate Rapinoe.

Press's impact extends far beyond her impressive statistics. As Angel City FC's first official signing in 2021, she helped establish the foundation for one of the NWSL's most ambitious expansion clubs.

Her career path reflects the evolution of women's professional soccer, having played in the now-defunct Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league to Sweden to NWSL then the English Super League before returning to America.

The forward's final professional chapter hasn't been without challenges. After joining Angel City, Press suffered a torn ACL in June 2022 that required multiple surgeries and kept her sidelined until the 2024 season.

Angel City FC will honor Press during their match against the Portland Thorns on Sunday at BMO Field in Los Angeles.