HARRISON, N.J. — 18 years after Tobin Heath made her U.S. women’s national team debut, the New Jersey native took to the podium in her home state for the final time.
Heath was in attendance at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday ahead of the USWNT’s final match of the 2026 SheBelieves Cup. A former longtime face of the program, Heath was honored with a prematch ceremony, eight months after she announced her retirement from professional soccer.
After beginning her career on the local fields of her hometown, Heath praised the impact that the state of New Jersey had on helping her achieve everything she did in over 20+ years as a professional.
“It’s super special to be back where it all started for me in New Jersey, as well as for many others from the national team,” Heath told reporters. “This place means so much to me in terms of putting me on the trajectory to be able to even represent my country. I started wearing the crest at 13-years-old which is well over half of my life, so I feel I have kind of grown up with this team. I just have so much gratitude for so many people.”
Heath’s youth career was headlined by her being ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the nation for the Class of 2006 while also being named to Parade Magazine’s All-America team the year prior. At the University of North Carolina, Heath was part of three National Championship-winning teams, while also helping the Tar Heels win four-straight ACC titles.
She later featured in the USL W-League, the WPS, and the WPSL before eventually moving abroad to Paris Saint-Germain. Heath also enjoyed stops at English giants Manchester United and Arsenal, as well as NWSL sides Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign where she lifted five trophies in the United States.
Heath once again credited her hometown and New Jersey for paving the way for her success, admitting that the competitiveness at a young age led to her taking major steps in her career.
“Being from such a competitive area for girls soccer was huge,” Heath said. “I still consider my youth coach as one of the best coaches that I ever played for. They allowed me to be creative and enjoy the game. I think the most important thing when you’re a kid is creating an environment that is safe and enjoyable.
“I was watching my 11-year-old nephew’s basketball game and getting emotional because you realize how important those moments are,” she added. “You want to encourage these kids and making them believe in what they’re doing and have fun.”
Heath is well known for her 181 USWNT caps over 13 years, which included 36 goals and a slew of accolades. She helped the USWNT win two FIFA Women’s World Cups, earn two Olympic Gold medals, and overall finish top of the podium 18 times across multiple competitions and tournaments (Four Nations Tournaments, SheBelieves Cups, Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, and more).
She was named U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year and Female Player of the Year, while also making FIFPRO’s Women’s World 11 in 2020. CONCACAF named Heath to their Women’s Team of the Decade from 2011-20, highlighting her continuous achievements with the USWNT on and off the field.
Following in the footsteps of many USWNT legends who paved the way for her, the 37-year-old reiterated her hopes of inspiring future generations of women’s athletes.
“I think being able to celebrate a huge part of history is really important, because the generations before me did not really have the exposure that women’s sports do today,” Heath said. “I think it’s important that we continue to remind people about the history of women’s sports so that we can all remember what happened and what happened before our time too.
“I wanted to show what women’s athletes could do,” Heath added. “I wanted to show women that they could be the first to do something, that they could be themselves. I wanted to inspire people the way that the generation before me inspired me.”
Now Heath is in the stands watching the USWNT’s new talents of Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson, Lily Yohannes carry the torch forward. Sure, key veterans like Lindsey Heaps, Rose Lavelle, Emily Fox and others are still playing at a high level, but it’s the younger group that will be the ones to carry this program past the 2027 Women’s World Cup and into the next decade.
Heath is confident in the USWNT’s abilities going forward, knowing that the country’s interest and investment in the sport has risen tremendously compared to when she first started out.
“Incredible talent,” Heath said about the current USWNT squad. “I love the next generation of this team. The depth of the U.S. has actually been why this program has been successful. Our pipeline, our development, our investment early on for soccer in this country has been great to see. I think the competitiveness is the same now as it was when I was young girl and it’s cool to see Emma leading the way forward.”