Ali Krieger Wants to Use Her Platform to 'Support People and Fight for Equality'

Ali Krieger is a soccer star, but after retiring in 2023, she said she wants to be known for things she's done off the field.

“I’m really proud of the lifelong friendships that I’ve built with my teammates,” the athlete, 39, said in a new interview with Self. “You endure so much — mentally, physically, emotionally — and you can’t even put into words the amount of stress and anxiety that you have at that level, to be able to stay there consistently over the years.”

"At different times you might be struggling or supporting or you’re the one thriving and maybe someone else [isn’t],” she added of her teammates. “Building those friendships that go beyond the soccer field has been a dream come true. Now I get to share real-life memories with them, not just soccer.”

The brunette beauty, who shares a daughter named Sloane and a son named Ocean with ex Ashlyn Harris, has been an advocate for social justice and equality, and she hopes to continue the conversation moving forward.

“I want to be known more for supporting people, fighting for human rights, fighting for equality,” she declared. “Because if I don’t, who will? That’s the mentality that I have. I think it’s important to amplify those issues, and make sure people understand where you stand.”

“If I can just do this little part, if I could just use my platform, my voice here, then maybe that’ll encourage other people, and then you come together, and there’s more power in numbers," she continued.

Krieger also got candid about how her romance with Harris crumbled. "Through these past five months, my friends have shown up in ways that I will cherish and remember forever. They are my true people,” she gushed. “It’s been so rewarding to see that, because you don’t know how much of an impact you have, even on your personal friends, and when they show up for you, you’re just like, 'Whoa — thank God.'"

“My entire team came over for a dance party the night the news broke. And I will never forget that moment,” she recalled. “I found out at training. I was on the field. And I came off the field, in the locker room, and I was obviously devastated.”

Krieger had to cancel the press conference after the revelation, but fortunately, she was surrounded by loved ones.

“Then my teammates just started walking through the door,” she says. “All of them. At different times. Until 2 in the morning, we were there, just hanging out, dancing, putting music on YouTube. We were sitting in the playroom, in my kitchen; we were dancing and hanging out, and they were all bringing wine and flowers, and just…themselves. They didn’t even think twice. They didn’t have to ask; they just showed up. They just kept coming in — from right after training, after their meetings, through 2 a.m. My kids were there, we all were there. And that’s something that I will never forget, and they will never understand how grateful and how… I’m so appreciative.”