NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer, the sport’s national governing body said on Monday, months after she helped capture Olympic gold.
The steely-nerved 36-year-old is widely considered among the greatest goalkeepers, after she recorded 12 clean sheets and allowed only a dozen goals in 22 starts at the World Cup and Olympics.
She will play her final two games with the U.S. team, friendlies against England the Netherlands, in London on Nov. 30 and The Hague on Dec. 3, respectively.
“When I began this journey, I never could have imagined where it would take me, and now I find myself so grateful for all the incredible teammates that I have shared the field with,” the twice World Cup winner said in a statement.
“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.”
Naeher, who earned her 100th cap this year after a decade donning the red, white and blue, intends to play the 2025 season with the NWSL side Chicago Stars.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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