“This is the right time for me,” remarked Ali Krieger while announcing her retirement from the beautiful game toward the end of 2023. Having served for over a decade, and with even her body beginning to give in, it was only natural for the USWNT veteran to call it quits. But talk about taking a U-turn — the former Gotham FC star returned to the pitch just months later, announcing her participation in the 2024 The Soccer Tournament (TST) — a six-day 7v7 friendly competition featuring men’s and women’s teams respectively.
“I’m only signing up if we win,” she told Heather O’Reilly before committing to contest for a million-dollar prize. The result? Krieger won in her inaugural season, which fueled her to compete in the 2025 expanded edition with 48 men’s and 16 women’s teams. Again, victory! While it’s good to see her cashing in such prize money while also rekindling that core memory of playing to win, the real question is — how exactly is this considered retirement, and more importantly, is there something else she misses the most?
Honestly, a lot! “I miss it so much, and I’m not afraid to say that,” began Krieger while speaking on the latest episode of the ‘A Touch More’ podcast co-hosted by her former USWNT teammate Megan Rapinoe and her fiance Sue Bird. “I miss pieces of it. I honestly thought I’d really struggle with the identity shift after playing professional soccer, but it’s come a lot easier than I assumed. That surprised me.”
Credits: Instagram/US Women TST
Even though the good old days of the locker room, team culture, and the daily challenges on the pitch and in training still make her emotional about hanging up her boots, the 41-year-old has struggled to fully embrace the life-after-soccer phase. Not to mention, the former USWNT international has also had to juggle motherhood, often bringing her kids along wherever she played. But now? From chasing them around the backyard to doing Pilates or yoga in her free time, Krieger is simply living her life.
Notably, aside from these little adventures, the former Penn State defender is still connected to the game by taking up a sports analyst job at ESPN, while also having done a few gigs for CBS. And honestly, it’s something that Ali enjoys to her core. “If I can’t play, the next best thing is to share my knowledge of the game through media. That’s been really enjoyable—analyzing alongside cheering on fans, former teammates, and players I love watching.”
“It’s been an adjustment, but I’ve been able to follow through with other passions, like investing in women and other sports, and putting my money where my mouth is,” added Krieger, who earlier made a significant investment in the LOVB Pro, a women’s volleyball league, while simultaneously working as Gotham FC’s brand ambassador.
Simply put, life after retirement has been less stressful. Ali Krieger can travel anytime, anywhere, and meeting friends while enjoying different experiences has all been fun and games for the two-time World Cup winner. And when it’s time to lace up her hung-up boots, she does so with pride, just like she did for the TST. Speaking of which, we should warn you, that’s not easy at all!
Despite the USWNT allure, Ali Krieger finds TST harder!
Yes, you heard that right! While The Soccer Tournament may seem like just a friendly competition, things get pretty intense on the pitch — at least according to Ali Krieger, a player who enjoyed immense success with the US Women’s National Team and thrived domestically despite plenty of challenges. “I was more nervous than at a World Cup,” she remarked during the recently concluded TST season.
Credits: Instagram/Ali Krieger
“Because at least in the World Cup, first of all, there’s XI vs XI. You have more control because you’re out there playing,” she added. Well, you can’t really blame her for feeling that way. Maybe it’s the unique rules of TST — but that’s exactly what makes it so fascinating. When the 7v7 shifted into its 3v3 Target Score Time format, Krieger found herself feeling a kind of anxiety she had never experienced before.
So, one can certainly cut her some slack for enjoying some soccer even though the former USWNT star hung up her boots.
The post Retired USWNT Star Confesses Biggest Scare About Retirement appeared first on EssentiallySports.
