Veteran midfielder and longtime Welsh star Jess Fishlock left Seattle Reign’s game against the Utah Royals with a leg injury on Sunday evening. Fishlock was stretchered off the field after sustaining a left leg injury in the 65th minute.
39-year-old Fishlock, a veteran of the NWSL with a long record of achievements, announced last week that she planned to retire at the end of the season. The midfielder has played for the Reign since the league’s inaugural season in 2013, making her the only player to play for the same team throughout every year of the league’s existence.
Seattle Reign head coach Laura Harvey did not have an update on Fishlock’s status.
“I think when the injury happened we were really on the front foot and we were really pushing,” said Harvey. “It sucked the life out of us a little bit I think, but then we started to get back into it.”
“She is a big part of the group, for who she is and what she’s done, and the leadership role she plays within our group,” said Harvey. “But it’s hard to say right now how the group’s really responding to that because I think there’s just so much unknown, to be honest.
Seattle lost the match against the Royals with a 3-0 score at home.
Fishlock, who is the team’s Captain, has made a total of 215 appearance and scored 48 goals for the Reign. She was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2021, and has won the NWSL Shield three times.
“Jess is one of the greatest players to ever play in this league, but what makes her truly special is who she is every single day,” said Harvey in the press release announcing Fishlock’s retirement. “She sets the standard with her work ethic, her competitiveness and her love for the game, but it’s also her football brain that sets her apart.”
In her long international career with Wales, Fishlock has made 165 appearances and scored 48 goals. She is Wales’s all-time record goal scorer, for both the men’s and women’s national teams. She became the first Welsh goalscorer in the Euros in 2025 and the oldest player ever to score in the tournament.
Fishlock is now also part of the Welsh national team coaching staff as a technical assistant.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.allforxi.com ’
