By Aditya Gupta | Founder & Editor
Published: November 14, 2026
Chicago Stars FC goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from professional soccer, bringing an end to a remarkable 16-year playing career that included two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles, Olympic gold and an extraordinary legacy in the National Women’s Soccer League.
The Chicago Stars announced Naeher’s retirement on Friday, November 13, 2026. The longtime club captain spent her final 11 professional seasons in Chicago, becoming one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in NWSL history.
“The decision to retire is never an easy one, but after a lot of prayer and reflection, I feel like it is the right time,” Naeher said in the club’s announcement.
Her decision marks the end of an important chapter for both Chicago and American women’s soccer.
Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Stars Legacy
Naeher joined Chicago from the Boston Breakers ahead of the 2016 NWSL season. What followed was an 11-season relationship that made her a central figure in the club’s identity.
She became Chicago’s all-time regular-season leader in goalkeeper appearances, starts, minutes played, saves and clean sheets.
According to the club’s retirement announcement, her NWSL regular-season career finished with:
- 224 appearances.
- 223 starts.
- 19,972 minutes played.
- 765 saves.
- 74 goalkeeper wins.
- 50 clean sheets.
Her Chicago statistics included 179 regular-season appearances, 558 saves and 45 clean sheets.
Those numbers placed her at the top of the league’s career goalkeeper rankings for appearances and saves.
Naeher also helped Chicago reach the NWSL Championship in 2019 and 2021. The club’s 2020 Challenge Cup campaign also ended with an appearance in the final.
The Goal That Made Her NWSL Career Even More Memorable
One of the most unusual moments of Naeher’s club career happened on August 18, 2025.
Chicago faced Seattle Reign FC and found itself needing a major comeback. Naeher scored in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time to complete a three-goal comeback and secure a 3-3 draw.
The goal made her only the third goalkeeper in NWSL history to score.
That same evening, she became the first goalkeeper to reach 200 regular-season appearances in the league.
It was a fitting illustration of a career that had been built around far more than making saves.
Two World Cup Titles and Olympic Gold With the USWNT
Naeher’s international achievements made her one of the most recognizable goalkeepers in American women’s soccer.
She was part of the United States’ 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning squad and became the starting goalkeeper during the team’s successful 2019 World Cup campaign.
At the 2019 tournament in France, she recorded four clean sheets and conceded only three goals. Her penalty save against England in the semifinal helped preserve the United States’ 2-1 victory.
She also kept a clean sheet in the final against the Netherlands as the United States won its fourth Women’s World Cup title.
Her international career concluded with another major achievement at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Naeher started every match as the United States won Olympic gold, recording four clean sheets. The final against Brazil ended in a 1-0 victory for the USWNT, with Mallory Swanson scoring the decisive goal.
She also won Olympic bronze with the United States at the Tokyo Games.
According to U.S. Soccer and the Chicago Stars, Naeher finished her senior international career with 115 appearances and 69 clean sheets.
She also became the first goalkeeper in women’s soccer history to record a shutout in both a FIFA Women’s World Cup final and an Olympic gold medal match.
Her International Retirement Was Not the End of Her Playing Career
There is an important distinction between Naeher’s two retirement announcements.
On November 25, 2024, she announced her retirement from international soccer. She subsequently continued playing for Chicago in the 2025 and 2026 NWSL seasons.
Her latest announcement, made on November 13, 2026, ends her professional playing career altogether.
That distinction matters because her contributions to the NWSL continued after her USWNT career had already finished.
Naeher’s final international year also brought major individual recognition. She received the 2024 Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award and was named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
A Lasting Legacy in American Women’s Soccer
Alyssa Naeher’s career was defined by consistency, leadership and performances in some of the biggest matches in women’s soccer.
Her NWSL records demonstrate the longevity of her club career, while her international achievements show how important she was during two World Cup-winning campaigns and the United States’ Olympic success in Paris.
For Chicago Stars supporters, her retirement means the departure of a longtime captain who represented the club across eleven seasons.
For USWNT fans, it provides another opportunity to recognize a goalkeeper whose biggest performances came when the stakes were highest.
Naeher now leaves professional soccer with a record that will be difficult for future goalkeepers to match.
Her final chapter in the game is complete, but her contribution to American women’s soccer remains part of its history.
Sources: Chicago Stars FC official retirement announcement | U.S. Soccer official profile | U.S. Soccer international retirement announcement