CHICAGO (Nov. 13, 2026) — Chicago Stars FC goalkeeper and captain Alyssa Naeher today announced her retirement from professional soccer, closing a career that helped define Chicago Stars FC and the National Women’s Soccer League while delivering some of the most memorable performances in U.S. Women’s National Team history.
A cornerstone of the Chicago Stars for 11 seasons, Naeher leaves a legacy of extraordinary performances and unwavering commitment to the club. The two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist retires as one of the most accomplished goalkeepers the sport has ever seen, with a place in the record books at the club, league and international levels.
“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,” said Naeher. “When I got traded from Boston to Chicago at the end of 2015, I felt like my world got turned upside down, but Chicago very quickly became my home away from home. I feel incredibly blessed to have shared the field with so many amazing teammates over the last 11 years, and have created a lifetime of memories on and off the field that I will always cherish. I want to thank the coaches and the organization for their support and belief in me. Captaining this team has been a great honor of my career, and shoutout to the fans for their continued support of me and the team.”
Acquired from the Boston Breakers in November 2015 ahead of the 2016 season, Naeher became a fixture in Chicago’s goal and, eventually, its captain. Her 2026 campaign marked her 11th with the club, extending a tenure that began under the Chicago Red Stars name and continued into the club’s next chapter as Chicago Stars FC.
“There are no words to truly encapsulate what Alyssa has meant to the Chicago Stars,” said club president Karen Leetzow. “She has lived through the greatest achievements and most trying moments in our history, and she has never wavered as a leader. Chicago has been fortunate to enjoy the greatest goalkeeper of all time in its backyard, while also sharing the joys of her journey on the game’s biggest stages. She is any teammate’s greatest advocate, on and off the pitch, and her partnership has been a gift to me personally in my role at the club. We wish Alyssa all the best, and we’re eternally grateful for all she’s done for the women’s game.”
Naeher established herself immediately in her first season in Chicago. She earned NWSL Player of the Month honors for May 2016 and finished the year with a NWSL Second XI recognition. Working with Chicago’s defense, she put together a 485-minute scoreless streak that set a league record at the time and remains a landmark achievement in club history.
That season was only the beginning of her impact. Naeher was part of Chicago teams that reached the playoffs in six consecutive regular-season campaigns from 2016 through 2022 (with the NWSL holding no regular season in 2020). She started in the club’s first NWSL Championship appearance in 2019 and helped Chicago reach the inaugural NWSL Challenge Cup Final in 2020. She was also a member of Chicago’s 2021 NWSL Championship finalist squad, though an injury sustained at the Olympics kept her out of the postseason.
Naeher became the club’s all-time regular-season leader in appearances, starts, minutes played, saves and clean sheets, setting standards for both longevity and performance. Her time with the Chicago Stars accounts for 179 regular-season starts and appearances, 16,012 minutes, 558 saves, 62 goalkeeper wins and 45 clean sheets. Overall, Naeher closes her incredible NWSL career starting in 223 of her 224 regular-season appearances, playing 19,972 minutes while making 765 saves, earning 74 goalkeeper wins and recording 50 clean sheets.
Her club records also include an 11-save performance against the North Carolina Courage in 2018. In 2025, she extended her own club goalkeeper records to 25 consecutive starts and 2,249 consecutive minutes in net before an injury interrupted the streak.
Her individual honors include NWSL Second XI selections in 2016 and 2019; Player of the Month in May 2016; Player of the Week recognitions in 2016 and 2018; and monthly Best XI selections in June 2018, September 2019 and March/April 2024.
One of her most unforgettable Chicago Stars moments came at the opposite end of the field. On August 18, 2025, Naeher scored in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time to complete a three-goal comeback and secure a 3-3 draw against Seattle Reign FC. On the same night, she became the first goalkeeper to reach 200 NWSL regular-season appearances, and she also became just the third goalkeeper in league history to score a goal, earning NWSL Goal of the Week honors.
Naeher broke the NWSL career saves record on May 27, 2023, when her 519th regular-season save moved her past former USWNT teammate Ashlyn Harris. That milestone came in a six-save shutout victory over Racing Louisville FC in yet another record-setting moment that delivered a result for Chicago.
Naeher also became the league’s career leader in goalkeeper appearances and its first goalkeeper to reach 150 regular-season appearances, 200 appearances and 200 starts. In 2024, she became the first NWSL goalkeeper to play 15,000 regular-season minutes and the first to earn 50 regular-season wins with one club. She extended the latter milestone to 60 wins with Chicago in 2025 and became the first goalkeeper to record 45 regular-season clean sheets for a single NWSL club.
Naeher’s Chicago Stars career ran alongside a historic international career highlighted by two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Olympic gold at Paris 2024 and Olympic bronze at the Tokyo Games. A member of three World Cup squads and three Olympic teams, she became the first goalkeeper in women’s soccer history to record a shutout in both a World Cup Final and an Olympic gold medal match. She concluded her USWNT career in December 2024 with 115 caps, 112 starts, 89 wins and 69 clean sheets, ranking third among U.S. goalkeepers in all four categories.
As the USWNT’s starting goalkeeper at the 2019 World Cup, Naeher played every minute, recorded four shutouts and conceded just three goals. Her late penalty save against England preserved a 2-1 semifinal victory before she shut out the Netherlands in the final. At Paris 2024, she again played every minute, allowing only two goals and setting a USWNT single-Olympics record with four clean sheets. She shut out every opponent in the knockout rounds, culminating in a 1-0 gold medal victory over Brazil secured by Chicago teammate Mallory Swanson’s winning goal.
Naeher repeatedly delivered in tournament-defining moments, saving a penalty in regulation and two more in the shootout against the Netherlands during the United States’ bronze-medal run at Tokyo. At the 2023 World Cup, she recorded three shutouts, conceded only once and became the first goalkeeper to take and convert a penalty in a Women’s World Cup shootout. She also helped the USWNT win the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup, stopping three penalties and converting her own attempt in shootouts against Canada at both tournaments.
Her exceptional final international year earned Naeher the 2024 Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award, selection to The Best FIFA Women’s 11 and U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year honors, becoming only the second goalkeeper to receive the federation’s annual women’s award. She also became the first NWSL goalkeeper nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Her international success began with the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title and Golden Glove award; across her senior World Cup and Olympic career, she totaled 22 starts, 12 clean sheets and just 12 goals conceded.
A native of Stratford, Connecticut, and a two-time All-American at Penn State, Naeher began her professional career with the Boston Breakers in Women’s Professional Soccer in 2010. She also played for Germany’s Turbine Potsdam, winning the 2011-12 Frauen-Bundesliga title, before returning to Boston for the inaugural NWSL season in 2013. She went on to earn 2014 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year and Best XI honors, and her 106 saves led the league that season and established a league record at the time. Boston also credited her with a then-record six penalty kick saves that year, an early indication of her ability under pressure that would become a hallmark of her international career.
Chicago Stars FC thanks Alyssa for her extraordinary contributions to the club and the sport, and congratulates her on a remarkable professional career.
-Chicago Stars FC-