Before winning two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal, Alyssa Naeher was one of the faces of Penn State women’s soccer. A three-time All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year with the Nittany Lions, Naeher set a high bar for what she could accomplish as a professional.
Fifteen years later and Naeher has announced her retirement from international play as one of the greatest goalkeepers in U.S. Women’s National Team history.
“Having the opportunity to be a part of the USWNT for the past 15 years has been the greatest honor,” Naeher said in a statement. “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; teammates that have turned into lifelong friends.”
Naeher is the only goalkeeper in women’s soccer history to earn a shutout in a World Cup final and an Olympic gold medal game. She backed up Hope Solo in the country’s 2015 World Cup win and served as the starting goalkeeper in a successful World Cup run in 2019 and in the 2024 Summer Olympics, when she won a gold medal.
Naeher’s final international trip will come this weekend, when the U.S. plays against England on Saturday and the Netherlands on Dec. 3. Despite her international career coming to close, Naeher will play for the Chicago Stars in the upcoming NWSL season.
“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 said. “The memories I have made over the years will last me a lifetime. I know one chapter is ending, but I am so excited to continue to see the growth of this team going forward and what more they can accomplish.”
