Angel City captain Ari Riley played in five women’s World Cups and four Olympics in New Zealand, but announced she will be retiring from the National Women’s Football League at the end of the 2025 season.
Riley, 37, returned to play in August due to a chronic nerve injury that had been on the sidelines for 2024 and the first half of this season. Last year was also difficult as Riley’s family lost their home in the Pacific Palisades fire in January.
“Bringing back on the field after last year’s injury was my peculiar goal and I’m proud to have achieved that,” Riley said in a statement released Tuesday by Angel City. “I was on the pitch every day, supported my teammates, pushed my teammates, and showed up in a way that I knew I could, and I look back at how this game has given me the last 30 years.
Defender Riley has made 163 appearances for New Zealand, the second most in team history.
Her professional career spans 16 years, including stints in Europe in Rozengard in Sweden, Chelsea in the UK’s women’s super league, and Bayern Munich in Germany.
In the NWSL, she played for Orlando Pride before joining Angel City in her first season of 2022.
“Ali Riley is Angel City. Her heart, grit and her unwavering commitment to lifting everyone around her have shaped the club’s culture,” said Julie Woman, CEO and co-founder of Angel City. “My team, our city, our global game and personally, her impact is immeasurable. Ali shows her leadership is well beyond the pitch.
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