Crystal Dunn has cemented her legacy as one of the most selfless stars to have competed for the all-conquering USA national team, an attacking player by nature who put her personal ambitions aside for the greater good to become a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ winner and Olympic champion as a full-back.
The 33-year-old, who recently announced her retirement from the sport, had a stunning start to her international career, making her debut on the global stage at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup New Zealand 2008™ and helping the Stars and Stripes win the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ in Japan four years later.
But after transitioning to the senior set-up in 2013, Dunn found it a challenge to establish herself in a stacked USA roster and was the last player to be cut from the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ squad. She promptly took her frustrations out on defenders in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), winning the Golden Boot with 15 goals in 20 games for the Washington Spirit, picking up the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award that year as well.
The 5ft 1in Swiss Army knife also made a point of honing her craft to ensure she would never be left out of a World Cup roster again by becoming one of the greatest left-backs in women’s international football over the best part of a decade despite playing completely out of position.
In total, Dunn made 160 appearances for USA, taking part in two FIFA Women’s World Cups — winning the title at France 2019 — and three Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments, where she scooped up a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 and gold at Paris 2024.
Following her retirement announcement, the former Paris Saint-Germain star spoke to FIFA about reflections on her career, making the most of her versatility, becoming a World Cup champion, and her goals to remain in the sport.
Crystal Dunn: Obviously a year out from a World Cup in a sense, [the decision] took people by surprise but it felt like a really good time. I’ve always been highly valuing family, friends, closeness with people who have really supported me in my career. I think basically there was a moment where I couldn’t give to the sport in the way that I wanted to, the way I know that is needed to remain at the highest level. While it was a difficult decision, I am happy that it was my decision and I was able to walk away when I felt like I had maybe a little bit more to give, but at a time when I have done enough.
I have missed so many moments in my child’s life already and I felt like the moment was perfect. I spoke to a lot of my friends who are retired and they always say, ‘No moment is really perfect when you have dedicated so much of your time and life to a sport.’ But this was the most perfect time with so many soccer moments on the horizon. Now I get to be a fan of this sport that I’ve given so much to.
Yes, a lot. I’ve won a lot, I’ve chased a lot of goals and dreams. I think you never really get to celebrate yourself along the way… you win an award and you’re immediately chasing the very next thing. So you basically have no time to appreciate all that you’ve done, all that you’ve achieved and overcame. I think the best thing about me retiring is basically [saying to myself], ‘You’ve done enough.’
I don’t think I ever felt like I did enough and retirement has made me think that I really have done everything, I’ve chased everything and I feel almost free from this mindset, which most athletes have, which is, ‘You have to chase more, you have to keep going, you’re not tired, you’re not hurt…’ What I have felt is a freedom to take a breath and say, ‘You’ve done more than enough’ and that felt really good.
It was so important. For me, representing USA at a young age where there are responsibilities… you’re competing for a youth World Cup. I remember being in the locker room and getting ready for these big moments with players who went on to be professional players alongside me and we all think back upon how serious we were in all the best ways. It felt like we were representing the full women’s national team.
It’s interesting that I was part of the first U-17 Women’s World Cup. That made me feel so old! But it made really proud as I was first in many ways and laid the groundwork for our federation and how important it is to be professional at a young age. That is your stepping stone for your journey. We finished second in the U-17s and I was part of two rounds of U-20s, helping the team win in 2012. We were ecstatic and a lot of those players played in the NWSL alongside me and we would always randomly talk about those moments of lifting the trophy in Japan. It’s all amazing memories that I will cherish forever.
I’m not the first to be cut from a roster and I won’t ever be the last. It’s a hard moment to navigate because you were thinking one way was going to be your reality and then your name is not called. You have one of two options: you sit and sulk and blame everyone else and don’t take accountability for what things you can work and be better on… and I went the route where, ‘This was this person’s opinion in this moment and it doesn’t define me.’ I went on to have one of the most successful years of my professional career, winning Golden Boot and MVP [awards].
I’ve had a very interesting career where I’ve had to navigate two separate identities on the field. I’ve been an attacking player and I’ve also represented the national team mostly as an outside back. When I look back, I think, ‘How did I do that? How did I stay afloat? How did I take on these two very different identities and still believe in myself that I can perform and be at the highest level possible for my team?’
When I missed out on the 2015 Women’s World Cup, I decided the sky is the limit for me. I never shied away from any challenge. Yes I was cut but I went out to prove why I should have been on the roster and prove why I am a top player. That was a pivotal moment in my career and I decided to reinvent myself and reinvest in myself. I was really proud of myself in that moment to do so.
I always had to balance being selfish and selfless. Of course, I wanted to play the position I felt I was best at or most free or comfortable at. But that wasn’t my reality very early on in my playing career. There were definitely struggles along the way of fighting that feeling of, ‘I’m not playing where I want to play’ and ‘What if I am not great at this position? What if I don’t make the team because I am playing this secondary position?’
Once I realized this is where the coach wants me to play, I thought, ‘Now was the time for me to showcase who I am.’ Early on as an outside back, I had to make the decision of playing the role in my most authentic way. I had to really lean into what that position meant to me and the sooner I did that, the more adaptable I was to that role. But it definitely wasn’t easy. I played all my professional career as an attacking player and I really only played outside back when I was with the national team. I got half the reps and training sessions but when I had coaches who believed in me, I felt that I could really impact the team in the game.
So many memories. One was, ‘I was cut in 2015, this is my moment, Crystal don’t mess it up because you’ve worked so hard to get to this stage.’ I was starting and relatively young and playing with all these veteran players that have been here before me and I really remember leaning on the veterans at the time to lead me in the right direction.
Stepping into a World Cup for the first time, there is no real practice for that moment and you are learning on the fly. I just thought, ‘Just do your job well and that is all you are asked to do.’ I was definitely nervous but I think I did an excellent job of blocking out any external noise and helped lean on my team-mates to navigate the difficult moments.
I didn’t really put an extra pressure on myself to be a role model. I think for me showing what women of colour could do in the sport was by action. I always competed with the idea that visibility is so powerful and as long as I am performing and on the field and visible, I know that is impacting a young girl who looks like me who may not believe that she can be in this sport or may not believe that this sport was not for her.
I’ve always been a Black advocate in this sport and now I can see the Black women in this sport don’t have to fight for the things I had to fight for and don’t have to look around and not see anyone who doesn’t look like them now. I think that is really powerful. I didn’t shy away from being one of the few.
I have many avenues that I think I can pursue and it feels so fresh and new being retired. I have thought about while I do want to stay in the game, it has to be authentic. I left a career where I was travelling a lot and have a child where I didn’t see a lot of him at times. The best way I can step into this next phase of my life and new career is by leading with what my priorities are, which is having a good work-life balance.
Commentating is an interesting gig and feels similar to some degree as you are on TV and in the spotlight and breaking the game down, so there are definitely some parallel interests there. But I’d love to dabble in ownership, being part of an organisation that is passionate about the sport is something that I’d like to do some research on and find a good fit for.
