LOS ANGELES- Angel City FC's team captain, Ali Riley, has announced she will retire in November at the end of the season. After a nearly three-decade long career, Riley is stepping away on her own terms.
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Jan 21, 2025; Thousand Oaks, California, USA; Angel City team captain Ali Riley sits on her locker at Angel City FC Performance Center.
"At the end of the 2025 NWSL season, I will be retiring from professional and international football," Riley said on the Good Vibes Podcast.
"While I certainly experienced my share of heartbreak in my career, it will never compare to the immense love, joy, and gratitude I feel when I look back on over 3 decades of playing this game. I am so proud to be able to say goodbye on my own terms, in my hometown, and know for certain that I am giving everything I have left to the people around me and the sport that shaped me. I want to thank everyone who has believed in me, supported me, bought my jersey, cheered my name, and traveled far and wide to watch me play. This chapter may be coming to an end, but I'm not going anywhere."
“That’s why I’m able to be happy and make this decision on my own terms.” 🥹
— The Women's Game (@WomensGameMIB) September 30, 2025
Ali Riley joins Sam and Becky on this week’s Good Vibes to share why she’s ready to hang up her boots at the end of the season. We love you, Ali 🖤
Listen to the full interview now on YouTube. pic.twitter.com/Hwx8wRBDUt
The 37-year-old former New Zealand women's national team captain is officially hanging up her cleats after a long battle to overcome the chronic nerve injury that ended her 2024 season.
“Getting myself back on the field was my singular goal after my injury last year, and I am so proud to have achieved that,” Riley said in the press release published on the Angel City website. “Being on the pitch every day, supporting my teammates, pushing my teammates, showing up in the way I know I can has been amazing. Now, as I reflect on what this game has given me these past three decades, since I started in the Palisades here in LA, I know that I have truly given my all, both physically and emotionally.
“As a player, I strived to be the best teammate, a positive influence in the locker room, and compete on the field every day. For my entire career, I never took a day when I got to play soccer for granted. I want to thank my family, friends, the teams that I have played for, the teammates I have played with, and the fans who have rooted for me here at home and all over the world.I am leaving with my head held so high and feeling so much support and love. This chapter may be closing, but I know there is so much more to come.”
© Amy Kontras-Imagn Images
Aug 19, 2022; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Angel City FC defender Ali Riley (5) walks out onto the pitch before facing the Kansas City Current at Children's Mercy Park.
Riley was named team captain during the club's inaugural match in April 2022. She joined in December 2021, off a trade from the Orlando Pride. During her first season with ACFC, she scored her first two NWSL career goals and assists.
Internationally, Riley has made 163 appearances for the Football Ferns, playing in five FIFA Women’s World Cup campaigns and four Olympic Games. Riley's journey with the game took her across the globe, showing her skills on pitches in the United States, New Zealand, and some of Europe's most prestigious clubs, including Bayern Munich, FC Rosengard and Chelsea.
Throughout her time playing professionally in the U.S, fans saw 'Riley' on the back of jerseys for the Orlando Pride, and times in the WPS, the second attempt at a women's fully professionalized soccer league in the U.S. In 2010, Riley was named Rookie of the Year with FC Gold Pride. She later went on to win the WPS Championship with Western New York Flash in 2011.
During her collegiate career at Stanford University, Riley converted from a forward to a fullback and was a two-time First-Team All-American and Mac Hermann finalist. During her senior year, she led Stanford to the NCAA College Cup final and was named Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Julie Uhrman, Angel City chief executive and co-founder, spoke on Riley's role in shaping the culture of the club.
“Ali Riley is Angel City,” Uhrman said. “Her impact on our team, our city, the global game and on me personally is immeasurable. Ali has shown us that leadership goes far beyond the pitch; it’s in how you care for others, how you show up, and how you lead every single day. Her love of the game, for Angel City, and for the community is undeniable. And while she may no longer be on the pitch, she will never be far from Angel City. We all need more Ali Rileys in our lives.”