USWNT veteran Becky Sauerbrunn retires from professional soccer

The GIST: USWNT veteran defender and former captain Becky Sauerbrunn is retiring from pro soccer, effective immediately, she announced yesterday. To celebrate the queen of consistent defense, here’s a look at her legendary career by the numbers. Not not crying.

219: Sauerbrunn had 219 caps (aka, appearances) for the USWNT across her 16-year international career. She retires as one of the longest tenured players in national team history, having made her first appearance in 2008. And that’s on longevity.

2: Sauerbrunn won two FIFA Women’s World Cups (2015, 2019), as well as one Olympic gold (2012) and one bronze (2021). Notably, the defender played every minute of the USWNT’s dominant 2015 Cup run.

0: A staunch defender, Sauerbrunn never scored for the national team, making her the USWNT record holder for most caps without a goal. She was busy, okay?

4: The center back was named NWSL Defender of the Year four times and played in every season of the league’s existence, winning three championships in that 11-year span.

Unquantifiable: Along with her incredible talent on the pitch, Sauerbrunn will be remembered for her unwavering commitment to justice, including playing a major role in the USWNT’s equal pay fight and consistently advocating for the trans community and racial equality. She’s one of one.