“How do you say goodbye to something you’re not ready to let go of?” That’s the question Christen Press asked the world on Instagram, not as a teammate, but as a partner. After years of anticipation, Tobin Heath officially announced her retirement from professional soccer on July 10th. At 37, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion is stepping away from the game for good, three years after her last appearance with OL Reign in 2022. But the moment didn’t feel real until Christen Press shared it with us.

On Instagram, she posted three deeply emotional photos: she and Tobin lying on a field littered with gold and blue confetti, the kind that only falls after a championship. They’re in full USWNT kits, smiling, glowing, soaking in the joy. But Press’s caption is what made everyone stop scrolling. “Tobin Heath knows about winning. She’s always won, And she learned it and taught it in the best locker room in the world. How laughing, dancing, yelling, crying and sharing contribute to greatness,” it began. And just like that, it was clear this post wasn’t just a celebration. It was a farewell to a teammate, a legacy, and a love built through a lifetime of playing side by side.

Press didn’t just reflect on the medals or goals. She opened a window into who Tobin really is: the quiet leader who texts every new USWNT player after their first cap, the advocate who fights behind the scenes for women’s sports, the student of the game whose tactical mind few ever fully understood. “And so, perhaps her greatest contribution was not a win at all. It was carrying the torch — a culture — in the pursuit of greatness for all to see and follow. She messages each player that gets her first USWNT cap. She advocates in the biggest rooms with the highest stakes for folks to invest in women’s sports.” For the fans, it was a reminder that Tobin Heath wasn’t just a star.

A second Instagram post from Press gave us another side of Heath. In it, Heath was showing some freestyle soccer tricks in what looked like a U.S. Soccer facility, dressed in gray leggings, a sleeveless jersey, and her signature orange beanie. No crowd. No spotlight. Just Heath doing what she’s always done best, being herself. Press simply wrote: “Happy official retirement @tobinheath.” The quiet support from her partner felt just right and deeply needed in such a personal moment. But it also left many wondering: Why did she wait so long to retire?

Tobin Heath found her way through love and letting go

They’d been quietly building a life together for nearly a decade, on the field, off the field, and through everything in between. But it wasn’t until July 28, 2024, that Tobin Heath and Christen Press finally let the world in. Appearing on Watch with Alex Cooper, the longtime teammates and best friends confirmed what fans had long suspected: they’d been in a romantic relationship since around 2016.

“As soon as I actually got to know her, there was just, like, a magnetism,” Press shared. “I never looked back.” For years, they’d chosen privacy, keeping things sacred while competing side by side on the USWNT and sharing club teams. Friends and teammates knew, but the world only found out when they were ready to say it, together.

But just as fans were celebrating this long-awaited moment, another question quietly emerged: why did it take Heath three years after her last pro match to officially retire? The answer isn’t glamorous, but it is deeply human. It started with what felt like a tiny pinch in her left knee during training for the Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021).

That “pinch” turned out to be a hole in her cartilage, one that led to two surgeries and eventually, full cartilage replacement. She still fought to make it to Tokyo, winning bronze with the U.S. in what became her final major tournament. After that, it was a series of short stints with Manchester United, Arsenal, and finally Seattle Reign. Her last professional game? August 14, 2022. And still, she kept fighting until it was time to let go.

Now, Tobin Heath is officially stepping away, and what a journey it’s been. 181 appearances for the USWNT. Two Olympic golds. Two World Cup wins. A silver medal. A bronze. 36 goals, 42 assists, and more than 10,000 minutes of brilliance. And even as she steps off the pitch, her impact continues, co-hosting The RE-CAP Show with Christen and breaking new ground as the only woman in FIFA’s technical study group for the men’s Club World Cup.