U.S. defender Julie Ertz celebrates after scoring a aim in opposition to New Zealand through the first half of a global pleasant soccer match in Commerce City, Colo., on Sept. 15, 2017. The 2-time U.S. Soccer Player of the Year has retired from soccer after a 10-year profession that included again to again Women’s World Cup titles and two U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year awards.

Jack Dempsey/AP

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Jack Dempsey/AP

U.S. defender Julie Ertz celebrates after scoring a aim in opposition to New Zealand through the first half of a global pleasant soccer match in Commerce City, Colo., on Sept. 15, 2017. The 2-time U.S. Soccer Player of the Year has retired from soccer after a 10-year profession that included again to again Women’s World Cup titles and two U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year awards.

Jack Dempsey/AP

Julie Ertz, a again to again FIFA World Cup champion and a 2-time U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year recipient, is retiring from the game, U.S. Soccer announced Thursday.

“As an athlete you’re always singularly focused on the next goal, the next tournament and rarely do you get time to reflect on your career,” Ertz stated. “However, over the past couple of months my heart has been filled with gratitude as I’ve thought about the amazing experiences soccer has given me.”

Ertz, 31, performed as a central defender within the 2015 World Cup and a central midfielder within the 2019 Cup.

She is the one participant to win the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year and the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year twice, in 2017 and 2019.

Ertz, née Johnston, can be a two-time Olympian. She performed within the 2016 video games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and made a comeback after a knee harm within the pandemic-delayed 2021 video games in Tokyo, by which she began in 5 of the six matches and performed the second-most complete minutes throughout the match.

Following the 2021 Olympics, Ertz took 18 months away from the sport as a consequence of sustaining accidents and welcoming a son, however returned to the sector within the 2023 World Cup, by which she performed each minute of 4 matches.

Ertz was drafted third total to the National Women’s Soccer League by the Chicago Red Stars in 2014, and gained the league’s Rookie of the Year award that 12 months.

Ertz joins her teammate Megan Rapinoe in retiring. Former U.S. Women’s National Team coach Vlatko Andonovksi stepped down earlier this month.

In a farewell message, Ertz thanked her groups and colleagues, followers and household.

“Finally, to the game of soccer. You have shaped every part of who I am,” she said. “My relationship with my faith, my character, friendships, travel, college, heck, just my daily routine. It’s a sad thing to reflect and know the game just moves on without you. The game doesn’t owe you anything but it has given me so much. What a truly beautiful game it is. I’m just grateful for the time we had.”