“Women’s football reimagined”—that’s how Tobin Heath described the launch of a new global 7v7 tournament called World Sevens Football (W7F). It’s not your average friendly soccer event, but rather something that promises bigger moments and greater opportunities for both fans and participants. While the opening day unfolded just as Heath had envisioned, it unexpectedly saw the USWNT icon subtly drop a major hint about her retirement.

Not officially having hung up her boots yet, it has been two years since Heath has kicked a soccer ball due to an unfortunate cartilage issue that has required two surgeries. To this day, she continues to tread the path of recovery, having often expressed her interest in returning to play someday. Yet, in the meantime, off-pitch endeavors have somehow kept her occupied with one being to spearhead the WSF tournament.

Recently, day 1 of the event concluded on a rather high note, forcing Heath to share this exciting news with her ardent fans. Taking to Instagram stories, she posted, “Key takeaways from World Seven Football Day 1.” The first one is: “My💰 [money] is on Man United Women but Bayern Munich Frauen seem super together 😬.”

The next pointer was: “Manuela Giugliano was my standout player,” heaping praise on the AS Roma midfielder. Meanwhile, the last but not the least takeaway was: “This is the sickest format and I wish I was still playing,” she wrote, before adding, “Day 1 in the books! PS: watching games with Seger Caroline is fun 😝,” hailing the former Swedish midfielder a good watching partner.

Now you may be thinking that so far, nothing has been addressed regarding the American forward’s potential retirement. But look closely. She said that she wishes she were still playing. Yes, she isn’t technically playing now, but the phrasing is quite curious coming from Tobin Heath.

Up until now, the only thing we had heard from Tobin is that she sees herself making a potential return to the pitch. “I haven’t been public about it, but I can say that I have been actively healing and trying to get back to the football pitch. I haven’t ruled it out, to say the least. But I am definitely in my own recovery journey,” she told the Associated Press in 2024. She last played for Seattle Reign in 2022.

Notice the difference? It looks like Heath may have mentally moved on from her playing days. Then again, it’s all speculation at this point. To be fair, if the two-time World Cup winner decides to return to soccer, we’re willing to bet she’ll still have what it takes. For now, all we can do is hope that she hasn’t called it quits—and that fans will get to see her back on the field someday.

In the meantime, as Heath continues her recovery, let her enjoy her off-pitch ventures, which are clearly keeping the former Manchester United star busy. In fact, there’s a reason the tournament launch was such a successful affair—something her fellow countrywomen surely recognized.

Tobin Heath deserves a pat on the back for the WSF idea

This groundbreaking 7V7 tournament also garnered the praise of her former USWNT teammates, Sam Mewis and Lynn Biyendolo. “Honestly, go Kelly and Tobin for being a part of this as well,” said Biyendolo before Mewis added, “Get out there girls.” Doubling down on her praise, Lynn concluded, “Seeing retired players continuing to be a part of the game and growing the game in different ways in various ways is really cool to see.”

Both Sam and Lynn agreed that even though this kind of reminds them of the WNBA’s unrivaled league, they called it an “additional opportunity provided by people who are just seeing the rise in women’s sports.” Moving away from the traditional structured league format, she praised the new model for opening up fresh opportunities and establishing a successful business approach.

The World Sevens Football (W7F) tournament is currently underway in Estoril, Portugal, running from May 21 to 23. It features top players from eight global clubs competing for a $5 million prize. Designed to boost brand visibility for clubs and players, the event also aims to attract younger fans and increase investment in women’s soccer.

Key leadership includes former Chelsea executive Adrian Jacob as head of football, with Aly Wagner overseeing strategy. The player advisory council is led by Tobin Heath, joined by Anita Asante, Laura Georges, and Caroline Seger. The event has financial backing from Gotham FC co-owner Jennifer Mackesy and is being streamed on Dazn.