Christen Press Bio
Christen Annemarie Press, born on December 29, 1988, in Los Angeles, California, is an American former professional soccer player, entrepreneur, and sports journalist. A forward who stood 5 feet 7 inches tall, she last played for Angel City FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and represented the United States national team from 2013 to 2021. Press made 155 appearances for her country, scoring 64 goals, a total that places her ninth on the all-time United States scoring list.
Press won two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles with the United States, in 2015 in Canada and 2019 in France. She also won the Hermann Trophy in 2010, became the first American to earn the Damallsvenskan Golden Boot in 2013, and co-founded the gender-neutral lifestyle brand RE-INC with Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, and Meghan Klingenberg.
Early Life and Background
Christen Annemarie Press was born in Los Angeles to Cody and Stacy Press and raised in the suburb of Palos Verdes Estates with her two sisters, Channing and Tyler. Her father, Cody, played American football at Dartmouth College, while her mother, Stacy, was a tennis player, creating a household steeped in athletic tradition. Christen began playing soccer at age five and attended Chadwick School, where she starred on the soccer team, earning two Southern Section Division IV titles as team captain.
At Chadwick, Press scored 128 career goals, including 38 during her junior year, a school record. She was twice named Southern Section Division IV Offensive Player of the Year, was a four-time Prep League Offensive MVP, and was recognized as an NSCAA High School All-American and a Parade Magazine All-American in 2006. She also lettered in track and tennis, and played club soccer for Slammers FC of Newport Beach, California, where she won the Golden Boot at the US Youth Soccer Association national championship.
Path to Soccer
Press enrolled at Stanford University in 2007, joining the Stanford Cardinal women’s soccer program under the Pac-10 Conference. As a freshman, she started 18 games and was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, scoring the fastest goal in program history during the NCAA College Cup. By the end of her senior year in 2010, she had become the all-time leading scorer in Stanford women’s soccer history with 71 goals, along with 41 assists and 183 career points.
In her senior season, Press led the nation in goals and points, leading Stanford to a 23-1-2 record and a second consecutive College Cup runner-up finish. She received the 2010 Hermann Trophy as the nation’s top college soccer player, becoming the second consecutive Stanford player to win the award, following teammate Kelley O’Hara. That same year she was named Soccer America Player of the Year, Pac-10 Player of the Year, and NSCAA first-team All-American.
Christen Press Career
Early Career (2009-2011)
Press began her senior career with Pali Blues in 2009 in the Women’s Premier Soccer League while still a Stanford student. After her college career ended, she was selected fourth overall by the Washington Freedom in the 2011 WPS Draft. The team moved to Florida and was renamed magicJack, and Press scored her first professional goal in May 2011 in a 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Beat. She later recorded her first professional hat trick during a 4-0 win against the Boston Breakers in July 2011.
Press finished her rookie season having started 16 of 19 matches for magicJack, ranking third in the league with eight goals. She was awarded the U.S. Soccer Federation Rookie of the Year, in part for being the first rookie in league history to record a hat trick. After the WPS suspended operations in early 2012, she signed with Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC of the Swedish Damallsvenskan.
Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC and Tyresö FF Breakthrough (2012-2014)
At Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC in 2012, Press finished as the second-highest scorer in the Damallsvenskan with 17 league goals and a total of 25 in all competitions. She also helped Göteborg win the Swedish Cup, scoring in the championship final against Tyresö FF and drawing the penalty that decided the extra-time victory. Her performances during the season established her as one of the top American forwards in Europe.
In early 2013, Press signed with Damallsvenskan champions Tyresö FF in Stockholm. She finished the 2013 season as the top scorer in the league with 23 goals, becoming the first American to earn the Damallsvenskan Golden Boot. She added nine goals in the 2013-14 UEFA Women’s Champions League, helping Tyresö reach the 2014 Champions League Final, where they fell 4-3 to VfL Wolfsburg. Her total of 37 goals in 2013 made it one of the most prolific single seasons in American women’s soccer history.
Chicago Red Stars Era (2014-2017)
Press joined the Chicago Red Stars in late May 2014 and immediately scored a team-high six goals in 12 matches, earning the club’s Golden Boot. In 2015, she opened the season with a brace against Seattle Reign FC and was named NWSL Player of the Month for April. She was named team captain in 2016 and scored eight goals in 14 matches, also scoring in the NWSL Playoffs before the Red Stars were eliminated by the Washington Spirit.
As captain in 2017, Press led the Red Stars with 11 goals, ranking fourth in the NWSL, and was named to the NWSL Best XI. The team reached the NWSL semifinals, where they were eliminated by the North Carolina Courage. In January 2018, Press was part of a three-team trade that sent her to the Houston Dash, though she declined to join the club.
Utah Royals FC Era (2018-2020)
Press returned briefly to Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC in March 2018 on a three-month contract, scoring four goals in three games and earning Damallsvenskan Player of the Month for April. In June 2018, she joined NWSL expansion side Utah Royals FC, scoring two goals in 11 appearances during their inaugural season. In 2019, she finished second on the team in scoring with eight goals and was named to her fourth NWSL Best XI.
She elected not to participate in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, Utah left her unprotected in the NWSL Expansion Draft, and her rights were claimed by Racing Louisville FC.
Manchester United Era (2020-2021)
On September 9, 2020, Manchester United announced the signings of Press and her United States teammate Tobin Heath on one-year contracts. She made her debut on October 4, 2020, as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion and scored her first club goal on October 18 in a 4-2 win over West Ham United. She scored a second goal in a 2-0 win at Everton on January 31, 2021.
On March 27, 2021, Press scored in Manchester United’s first-ever match played at Old Trafford, a 2-0 win over West Ham United. The club announced on June 24, 2021, that Press would leave upon the expiry of her contract at the end of the month.
Angel City FC Era (2021-2025)
On August 23, 2021, Racing Louisville traded Press’s NWSL playing rights to expansion side Angel City FC. She signed a two-year contract with an optional third year, reportedly worth a total of $700,000, making her one of the highest-paid players in NWSL history. In June 2022, Press suffered an ACL injury in a match against Racing Louisville that required four surgeries and forced her to miss the entire 2023 season.
Press returned to training on June 11, 2024, exactly two years after her injury, and made her comeback on August 1, 2024, in a scoreless draw against the San Diego Wave in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. On October 12, 2024, she scored her first regular-season goal for Angel City since her ACL tear, in a draw with the North Carolina Courage, marking her 100th NWSL regular-season appearance. On January 17, 2025, she signed a new one-year contract with Angel City through the 2025 NWSL season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Press became the third woman in U.S. history to score two goals on her first national team cap, in a February 9, 2013, friendly against Scotland. She was the only American woman to score three goals in her first two senior international appearances. Press was a member of the U.S. squad that won the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups, and she was part of the U.S. team that took the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Christen Press International Career
Press made her senior international debut on February 9, 2013, against Scotland, scoring twice in a 4-1 win. She went on to earn 155 caps for the United States and scored 64 goals, ranking ninth all-time in U.S. history. In November 2019, she became the 12th player in U.S. women’s national team history to score 50 international goals.
FIFA Women’s World Cup Highlights
At the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, Press appeared in four of the United States’ seven matches, helping the team win the title over Japan 5-2 in the final. She scored her first World Cup goal against Australia. At the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, she appeared in all seven matches and scored in the semifinal against England. The United States beat the Netherlands 2-0 in the final for their second consecutive title.
Olympic Highlights
Press was a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team that was eliminated by Sweden in the quarterfinals on penalties, with Press missing the decisive final kick. She was named to the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics roster in 2021, appearing in all six matches as the U.S. won the bronze medal. The bronze medal match against Australia on August 5, 2021, marked her 155th and final international appearance.
Christen Press Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Press was raised in Palos Verdes Estates, a suburb of Los Angeles, with her two sisters, Channing and Tyler. Her father, Cody Press, played American football at Dartmouth College, and her mother, Stacy Press, was a tennis player. The athletic background of her parents helped shape her path toward competitive sports from a young age.
Personal Life
Press is married to her longtime partner Tobin Heath, a U.S. women’s national team and former Manchester United teammate. The two had been in a relationship since 2015. In November 2021, Press publicly alleged abuse against former Chicago Red Stars manager Rory Dames, revealing that she had previously raised concerns with U.S. Soccer officials about his behavior. Since 2013, she has served as a Global Ambassador and, since 2018, a board member of the adolescent health organization Grassroot Soccer.
2025 Season Performance
Press signed a new one-year contract with Angel City FC on January 17, 2025, signaling her intent to play a full NWSL season following her long ACL recovery. The 2025 campaign represented a continuation of her return to form after two years away from competitive play, and she was featured in Angel City’s attacking rotation as a veteran forward.
On October 15, 2025, Press announced her retirement from professional soccer, bringing an end to a career that spanned clubs in the United States, Sweden, and England, as well as 155 senior international caps. Reflecting on her significance to the club, Angel City CEO Julie Uhrman called Press a pioneer whose legacy is woven into the fabric of the organization as its first signing.
Press finished her career with two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles, an Olympic bronze medal, two CONCACAF Women’s Championship titles, a Hermann Trophy, a Damallsvenskan Golden Boot, a WPS Rookie of the Year award, and four selections to the NWSL Best XI. Her combination of scoring, leadership, and advocacy set a standard for American forwards.
