USWNT star Julie Ertz officially announces retirement from soccer

It’s official. Julie Ertz, one of the greatest players in U.S. women’s national team history, has announced her retirement from professional soccer.

Ertz was in tears after the USWNT’s heartbreaking exit from the World Cup. Sweden won 5-4 after a penalty shootout in the round of 16. In a post-game interview, Ertz said this was "probably the last game ever being able to have the honor to wear this crest." 

Ertz, 31, leaves the game with an impressive resume. She has done it all — won back-to-back World Cups while playing center back in 2015 and defensive midfielder in 2019. She’s the only player to win the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year (2012) and then win the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year twice (2017, 2019). She’s also a two-time Olympian and finished her international career with 122 caps and 20 goals. 

But most of all, Ertz became a mom last August when she gave birth to her now 1-year-old son, Madden. There was some initial doubt that Ertz would make it back in time for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand — she had been off the pitch for 18 months following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to injuries and having a baby. Ertz not only made the roster, but started every match and played every minute for the USWNT at center back, a position she had not played regularly in years.

"As an athlete you’re always singularly focused on the next goal, the next tournament and rarely do you get time to reflect on your career," Ertz said in a statement. "However, over the past couple of months my heart has been filled with gratitude as I’ve thought about the amazing experiences soccer has given me.

"I’ve been blessed to meet and train with some of the best and most inspirational women I’ve ever been around, and I’ve experienced different cultures while traveling the world to compete at the highest level. I gave everything I had to the sport that I love. With that I can walk away with no regrets because while I gave soccer every ounce of myself, soccer gave me even more, and for that I’ll always be thankful."

Ertz is calling it a career at club level too. She played most of her career with the Chicago Red Stars, who selected her No. 3 overall in the 2014 draft, from 2014-21, and joined Angel City FC earlier this year as she prepared for the World Cup. Ertz played in seven matches for her new team before leaving for New Zealand, and will not return to the club to finish out this season. She and her husband, Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz, live in Phoenix, which makes continuing her club career more complicated as it's not in a NWSL market.

"These past six months have been a dream come true," Ertz said in a social media post. "After pregnancy, I never knew if I had a chance to play the beautiful game again, let alone another World Cup. Angel City was a huge reason any of this was a possibility. The support from the staff and players can’t be put into words to help me get back. I’m crushed to not be able to continue the push to playoffs and that made this decision incredibly difficult. 

"The logistics of not living in a NWSL market is challenging, and I know the sacrifices it takes to be the best you can be. As I have gotten older and become a mom, it’s clear the sacrifices of time away from my family no longer seem doable with so many factors at play. These girls gave me a gift I could never repay and I got to live out a dream I wish for everyone: falling in love with a sport you have played your whole life and getting to share it with your son."

Replacing Ertz will be a challenge for the next USWNT head coach. As former coach Vlatko Andonovski said of Ertz during this past World Cup, "I feel comfortable with Julie playing as a No. 9 or a 7 or 11. She’ll give you her best and she’ll play 90 minutes, and she’ll be good." 

Ertz, once described by teammate Rose Lavelle as an "ankle cruncher," will leave a gaping hole in the middle of the field. She was the on-field general, always dominant, confident and communicative, as well as being an imposing aerial presence. 

"When playing at the highest level you never truly think about retiring, and often that choice is forced upon you," Ertz said. "However, it truly is a blessing to walk away from this game knowing I’ve given everything I possibly had to being the best player I could be. I know I am going to miss this game that I love dearly."

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.