Angel City, New Zealand star Ali Riley to retire at end of season

Angel City FC and New Zealand defender Ali Riley announced on Tuesday that she will retire at the end of the 2025 NWSL season.

Riley, who turns 38 in October, played internationally for New Zealand for nearly two decades, much of that time as the captain.

She was one of the first players acquired by Angel City when the club launched ahead of the 2022 NWSL season, and she has been the team’s captain since its first game.

Riley was injured for large portions of the 2024 and 2025 NWSL seasons due to a chronic nerve injury that also forced her to miss the 2024 Olympics for New Zealand.

“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 a statement.

“Being on the pitch every day, supporting my teammates, pushing my teammates, showing up in the way I know I can has been amazing.”

Born in Los Angeles, Riley represented New Zealand, her father’s home country, at five World Cups, including the 2023 edition on home soil. She also played in four Olympics. She primarily played as a fullback.

Riley played college soccer at Stanford before joining FC Gold Pride in 2010 and winning a championship in her rookie professional year in the now defunct Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS). She was named WPS Rookie of the Year in 2010. FC Gold Pride folded later that year and Riley, along with other FC Gold Pride players including Brazilian playmaker Marta, joined the Western New York Flash and won another league title.

After WPS folded in early 2012, Riley left for Europe and played there for nearly a decade, first joining Rosengard in Sweden before moves to Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

She returned to the U.S. in 2020 to join the Orlando Pride. In 2022, she moved to Angel City, the professional team now representing her hometown.

“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,” Riley said. “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.”

Riley was added to Angel City’s active roster in late July during the NWSL’s summer break after returning to fitness from her injury. She has not yet appeared in a match this season.

Angel City FC has four games remaining and sits in 11th place, five points behind eighth-place Racing Louisville FC for the final playoff spot.

“Ali Riley is Angel City,” team CEO and co-founder Julie Uhrman said in a statement. “Her heart, grit, and unwavering commitment to lifting everyone around her have shaped the culture of this club. Her impact on our team, our city, the global game and on me personally is immeasurable.”