Angel City FC defender Ali Riley has announced she will retire at the end of the 2025 NWSL season.

The 37-year-old will call time on a 16-year pro career that began with FC Gold Pride in WPS and took her around the globe. She will end her career with her hometown team, which she has captained since its inaugural NWSL season in 2022.

Riley hasn't played since April 2024 due to a chronic nerve injury in her leg, though she was removed from the season-ending injury list in July.

With Angel City unlikely to make the postseason, Riley told the Los Angeles Times that she is hoping to step onto the field one last time before her career ends.

“It’s something I desperately want. And it would be such an amazing final milestone to achieve,” she said. “To be in that team huddle, to wear the jersey again, that is where my head has been for the last probably five weeks.”

Riley confirmed her impending retirement on Tuesday with a post on her social media channels.

"At the end of the 2025 NWSL season, I will be retiring from professional and international football," she said.

"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 3 decades of playing this game.

"I am so proud to be able to say goodbye on my own terms, in my hometown, and know for certain that I am giving everything I have left to the people around me and the sport that shaped me.

"I want to thank everyone who has believed in me, supported me, bought my jersey, cheered my name, and traveled far and wide to watch me play. This chapter may be coming to an end, but I’m not going anywhere."

Born in Los Angeles to a New Zealander father, Riley represented New Zealand at the international level and went on to captain the Football Ferns, becoming one of the most accomplished players in the country's history.

Riley played in five World Cups, captaining New Zealand on home soil in 2023. She also made five Olympic teams, earning 162 total caps.

In addition to her time with Angel City, Riley spent two seasons with the Orlando Pride. Riley spent more time playing for Swedish outfit Rosengård than any other club, winning three league titles. She also represented Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

This article originally appeared on Pro Soccer Wire: Angel City defender Ali Riley announces retirement

Reporting by Seth Vertelney, Pro Soccer Wire / Pro Soccer Wire

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect