USWNT legend bows out! Two-time World Cup winner Julie Ertz retires

U.S. women’s national team legend Julie Ertz has called time on her career.

WHAT HAPPENED? The defensive midfielder, who won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019 with the USWNT, has announced she's hanging up her boost. Ertz spent over a decade with the national team, winning 122 caps and scoring 20 times.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: She also made a stunning comeback earlier in 2023, after giving birth to her son in August 2022, and quickly re-established her authority within the USWNT. Ertz played every minute of their 2023 World Cup campaign that ended with a round of 16 exit to Sweden. After the loss, she had hinted at possible retirement and on Thursday confirmed she's decided to call it a day.

WHAT THEY SAID?: “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. “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 travelling 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," she added.

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