(Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)

Former U.S. Women's National Team star and Angel City FC forward Christen Press is retiring from professional soccer at the end of the season, she said Wednesday.

'It's hard to find the words to say goodbye to a sport that has defined my life for over three decades,' she said in a team-released statement. 'Football has given me everything, and I will miss being on the pitch so very much. Thank you to my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and community for this beautiful ride. I promise we will continue to reimagine sports in this next life!!'

She retires as one of the legendary players to represent the United States on the international level. She earned 155 caps and scored 64 goals, good for ninth on the all-time scoring list.

Press, 36, made her debut with the U.S. team in 2013 and was a member of the teams that won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019. She also added a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Press played at Stanford, where she still is the school record-holder in points (183) and goals (71). She was selected fourth overall by the Washington Freedom in the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer draft and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors. The league folded after one year, and she played her first stint in Europe before joining the National Women's Soccer League. She was a member of the Chicago Red Stars (2014-17) and Utah Royals (2018-20).

She joined Manchester United (2020-21) and then was the first player signed by expansion club Angel City in 2022.

She missed the entire 2023 season with an ACL injury that required four surgeries in the span of 13 months.

Angel City will honor Press on Sunday before its game against the Portland Thorns at BMO Field in Los Angeles.

--Field Level Media