MESA, Ariz. — Julie Ertz, the Mesa-born soccer superstar, is hanging up her cleats. After her recent World Cup appearance, Ertz announced Thursday that she's retiring.
"My gratitude to all my teammates and coaches over the years can't be put into words," Ertz said in her announcement. "The highs and lows as an athlete are only doable with those teammates who push you to be better everyday and lift you up when needed. From club, Santa Clara, youth teams, NWSL, and USWNT every single teammate I ever had: Thank you."
Ertz was a member of the United States women's national team from 2013 to 2023, and made a total of 122 appearances for the team. Her career started all the way back in the Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club in 2000.
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Ertz gave birth to her son, Madden, in August 2022 and made the cut for the U.S. Women's World Cup team the very next year.
"It truly is a blessing to walk away from this game knowing I've given everything I possibly had to being the best player I could be. I know I am going to miss this game that I (we) love dearly. Thank you for showing up, for buying our jerseys and making the atmosphere unbelievable."
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