USWNT legend Tobin Heath announces retirement

Tobin Heath, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion with the United States Women's National Team, announced her retirement from professional soccer on her podcast "The RE-CAP Show" on Thursday.

The announcement comes after Heath, 37, struggled with a long-term left knee injury, which required multiple surgeries and ultimately ended her career. Heath last played in August 2022 for the Seattle Reign of the NWSL.

"I spent tens of thousands of dollars and (had) two surgeries, one crazy surgery. And the whole time, I believed I was going to get back," Heath said on her podcast. "The writing was definitely on the wall, I just couldn't accept, I think, that that was my ending."

The midfielder is one of the most prolific USWNT players of all time, notching 36 goals and 42 assists in 181 appearances for the U.S. over 13 years into 2021. Perhaps her most notable goal came in the United States' 5-2 victory over Japan in the 2015 Women's World Cup final, when she scored the final goal of the match to secure the team's third World Cup title.

Heath also helped the U.S. claim the 2019 Women's World Cup title, as well as gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and 2012 London Summer Olympics.

On the club level, Heath won two NWSL Championships with the Portland Thorns, and played in Europe for Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Arsenal.

--Field Level Media