Fishlock’s playing career ended when Seattle lost to Gotham in the playoffs. Wales’s record holder with 166 appearances and 48 goals retired from international football in October 2025. She will join Rhian Wilkinson’s coaching staff for December’s World Cup playoff against Norway.
Jess Fishlock’s playing career ended on 8 November 2026, when Seattle Reign lost 1-0 to Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League playoff quarterfinals. The 39-year-old midfielder had announced in April that this season would be her last.
Fishlock had already retired from international football in October 2025, after making 166 appearances and scoring 48 goals for Wales. Both are records across Welsh men’s and women’s international football.
After her final match, Fishlock said, as reported by BBC Football, that she was comfortable with never playing again but was devastated that she would not spend more time with her Seattle teammates. Defender Sofia Huerta called Fishlock the best player she had ever seen and said she had put the league on the map. Huerta described playing alongside Fishlock as her greatest honor.
Fishlock began at her hometown club Cardiff City in 2002 and joined Seattle for the league’s inaugural season in 2013. She won 3 NWSL Shields in 14 seasons with Seattle and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2021. She also won Champions League medals with FFC Frankfurt and Olympique Lyonnais.
She helped Wales qualify for its first major women’s finals in 2025 and became the oldest scorer at a Women’s European Championship during the tournament.
Fishlock will join head coach Rhian Wilkinson’s Wales staff for the two-leg World Cup playoff against Norway in December. She previously worked as a Wales technical assistant for a World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic in March 2026.
In September, Wilkinson said Fishlock could still contribute as a player, but that her international retirement had come at the right time after Wales qualified for the European Championship. Wilkinson said Fishlock would return as a coach if Wales advanced past Albania.
Washington beat Portland 4–1 and Gotham beat Seattle 1–0 to complete the semifinal field. Kansas City beat Angel City 1–0 and Utah beat San Diego 1–0. Top-seeded Gotham faces fourth-seeded Kansas City next weekend, while Utah travels to face Washington. Gotham FC will host Kansas City Current at Icahn Stadium on 15 November at 15:00 Eastern time (00:00 Yerevan time on 16 November) because of poor field conditions. Washington Spirit will host Utah Royals at Audi Field on 14 November at 12:00 Eastern time (21:00 Yerevan time).
The playoff legs are scheduled for 1 December and 5 December. The winner will qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, a tournament Wales is seeking to reach for the first time.
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Gotham secures its first regular-season title with a 2–0 win over Utah; Seattle beats Orlando 1–0 for the final playoff berth, while San Diego beats Bay 1–0 to finish second, three points behind Gotham.
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