Ali Riley announces retirement at end of NWSL season; ‘Proud to be able to say goodbye on my own terms’

Former New Zealand women’s national team captain Ali Riley announced her retirement from professional soccer on Tuesday. The Angel City FC defender and Stanford University alum is saying farewell to a career that has spanned over a decade with multiple clubs across the globe. She will officially hang up her cleats at the conclusion of the 2025 NWSL regular season. 

“At the end of the 2025 NWSL season, I will be retiring from professional and international football,” RIley wrote on social media. 

“While I certainly experienced my share of heartbreak in my career, it will never compare to the immense love, joy, and gratitude I feel when I look back on over 3 decades of playing this game. I am so proud to be able to say goodbye on my own terms, in my hometown, and know for certain that I am giving everything I have left to the people around me and the sport that shaped me. I want to thank everyone who has believed in me, supported me, bought my jersey, cheered my name, and traveled far and wide to watch me play. This chapter may be coming to an end, but I’m not going anywhere.”

A well-respected figure in women’s soccer, Riley’s influence is a tapestry woven with threads from the United States, New Zealand, and some of Europe’s most prestigious clubs. Before becoming a globe trotting professional, she was a standout for the Stanford Cardinal, converted from a forward to a fullback, and was a two-time First-Team All-American and Mac Hermann finalist. During her senior year, she led Stanford to the NCAA College Cup final and was named Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. 

Following a successful college career, Riley was a first-round draft pick in the WPS, the second attempt at a women’s fully professionalized soccer league in the U.S., and was named 2010 Rookie of the Year with FC Gold Pride. She later went on to win the WPS Championship with Western New York Flash in 2011. 

Following the folding of the WPS, Riley signed with FC Rosengard and was a foundational piece alongside Caroline Seager, Anja Mittag, and Marta for the then-growing European giants. While in Sweden, she won multiple Damallsvenskan titles and earned a reputation as an elite fullback. Her talents took her to Chelsea FC, Bayern Munich, and Vittsjo before signing with the Orlando Pride in the NWSL. In a full-circle career moment, she was traded to Angel City FC and returned to her home state on the West Coast.

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While balancing club duties throughout her career, Riley has been a staple among New Zealand’s Football Ferns. The 37-year-old made her debut in 2007, was a stalwart on the backline through five FIFA Women’s World Cups (2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023) and four Olympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020). Riley has been recovering from a chronic nerve injury to her left leg that kept her out of the 2024 Olympics, and was honored as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the same year.

She has mostly been sidelined through the 2025 season with the injury, but returned to a game-day roster in August.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to describe what tonight meant to me. It holds a different space in my heart than my other favorite football moments,” Riley said on social media. “Just to stand in the huddle with my teammates and pass the ball in warmups and feel the energy of La Fortaleza again was more than I dared hope for. Plus three points? Pinch me. Thank you to everyone who celebrated this impossible moment with me, especially my Angels. I love you all so much.”

Riley’s impact goes beyond the athlete. She is a passionate advocate for social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, players’ rights, and champions Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage initiatives. Throughout her playing career, she has compiled an engaging content creation career and connected with fans through different media works.