Ferns captain Riley to retire from all football
- Dave Worsley
- Oct 1
- 1 min read
Updated: Oct 3
Former New Zealand Football Ferns captain Ali Riley is set to retire from football at the end of the US NWSL season following a lengthy battle with a chronic nerve injury.
The 37-year-old Angel City defender has played limited football at any level since withdrawing from selection on the eve of New Zealand's opening match against Canada at last year's Paris Olympics.
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Los Angeles-born Riley said on social media she would be proud to bow out in her hometown having played 44 times for Angel City a number as captain and is highly respected in the United States soccer scene.
"While I certainly experienced my share of heartbreak in my career, it will never compare to the immense love, joy, and gratitude I feel when I look back on over three decades of playing this game," she wrote in a instagram post.
Riley played 163 times for the New Zealand side starting in 2007., scoring two goals.
She is second in number of appearances for the Football Ferns behind Ria Percival with 166 who retired last year.
A veteran of five Women's World Cups, Riley led New Zealand to their first win at the tournament in 2023 when the Ferns beat Norway 1-0 at Auckland's Eden Park.
