Women's Soccer

Alex Morgan will play her final soccer game on Sunday with San Diego Wave FC and won’t ever make a return to the field. In a Friday press conference, the United States women’s national team legend said she had no plans of perusing coaching.

“I don’t think coaching is in my future,” Morgan said. “I’ve found my calling in investing in women’s sports and doing as much as I can to give as big as a platform to women’s sports as possible.”

An honor at a Washington Nationals game proved costly for standout Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune.

The U.S. national team player was placed on the season-ending injury list on Wednesday after sustaining a torn meniscus away from training last week, the team announced.

Spirit coach Jonatan Giraldez filled in the rest of the story: Bethune was injured while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Nationals game.

Croix Bethune first pitch injury

One of the greatest United States women’s national team players of all time is calling it a career. Alex Morgan will play her final game on Sunday as the star striker announced in a four-minute video on social media Thursday.

Morgan had two big announcements in her retirement video as she revealed she’s pregnant with a second a child.

“This is also not the retirement video I expected when I initially thought I was going to do this. Because Charlie’s going to be a big sister. I’m pregnant,” Morgan revealed.

The nominees for the Ballon d’Or (best soccer player of the year) were released on Wednesday and five American women were named to the 30-player shortlist. Shockingly, star defender Naomi Girma wasn’t one of the five.

The Ballon d'Or is an annual award determined by French magazine "France Football."

Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Lindsey Horan and Alyssa Naeher were the five USWNT players nominated for the prestigious award.

The National Women's Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association have agreed to a collective bargaining agreement that will eliminate the draft, guarantee contracts and grant unrestricted free agency to all players.

The deal runs through the 2030 season and already has been ratified by the players. It replaces the previous CBA that was set to expire in 2026.

New NWSL CBA details

New Zealand captain Ali Riley has revealed her soccer career may be over due to the nerve injury that ruled her out of the Paris Olympics.

The 36-year-old defender was withdrawn from selection on the eve of the Football Ferns' opening match against Canada at the Games.

"Even now, when I don't know if I'll ever be able to play soccer again, that's the reality of the injury I have now," Riley told a Q&A session at an event promoting girls in sport in Los Angeles.

Kelley O’Hara made her grand return to the pitch Sunday night for Gotham FC after missing the previous five months battling a knee injury. The home crowd gave the 36-year-old United States women’s national team icon a roaring ovation when she entered the game in the 85th minute during a friendly against Chelsea.

O’Hara is playing in her final NWSL season as she’s announced she will retire at the end of the year. Her last season with Gotham FC hasn’t been a dream final chapter of her career as she’s been sidelined since March.

National Soccer Hall of Famer Landon Donovan took over on Friday as the interim head coach of the NWSL's San Diego Wave.

Landon Donovan announced as San Diego Wave interim coach

Donovan, 42, takes over for Paul Buckle, who had been serving as the team's interim coach but had agreed to the role only for the summer.