USWNT Legend Considers Return After Two-Year Hiatus

United States women’s national soccer team legend Tobin Heath has not ruled out a return to the international stage of the sport and the four-time World Cup champions in the near future. 

Heath has not played for club or country since 2022. A cartilage issue that has required two surgeries. Her last appearance for the national team came in October 2021.  

The now-36-year-old Heath was an integral member of the 2015 and 2019 teams that won back-to-back World Cups. 

Much has changed with the national team since those successes under Jill Ellis, with Vlatko Andonovski leading the USWNT to a Round of 16 exit at last year’s World Cup. 

Now with Emma Hayes in charge and looking to bring the American women back to the global mountaintop, nothing is off the table, including Heath’s reintroduction despite a deep talent pool of younger players. 

‘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,” she told The Associated Press. “I haven’t ruled it out, to say the least. But I am definitely in my own recovery journey.’

‘I think for the first time in in a few years, there’s a lot of excitement and hope around this team that felt a little bit like they were a little untethered, you know?’ Heath continued. 

‘I think with Emma being this kind of leader figure that this young group needs, it’s an exciting time and we can all be very hopeful’  Heath said.

‘And with an Olympics, that is always a funny tournament in itself, I think anything’s possible,’ Heath added. 

In her time away from the pitch, Heath has stayed busy with a podcast co-hosted by fellow USWNT veteran Christen Press. 

Heath plays for Angel City in the NWSL and returned to training this month in hopes of returning to action for her club soon. 

Heath has 155 caps for the USWNT, scoring 64 goals.