By OkayGoal
Last couple weeks, NWSL fans were treated to an amazing development: Sydney Leroux returned to the field for the first time in almost two years following her mental health break. She came on late as a substitute for Angel City in their 1-1 draw against the Washington Spirit.
Leroux may be coming back at the perfect time for her club, perhaps providing a boost both on and off the field for Angel City as they fight for a playoff appearance. She brings back a tremendous amount of experience and success, having been one of the steadiest talents in soccer over the last two decades.
The Rise of a Scary Scorer
Sydney Leroux was born in Surrey, Canada, where she quickly became one of the brightest attacking talents on the scene. She won many championships on the youth club scene, and even appeared in a few games in the W-League for the Vancouver Whitecaps, making her the youngest player in club history.
Betting on her talent, though, she made the move to America with the hopes to eventually play for the USWNT and do amazing things in the country. This move seemed to be a success, leading her new youth club, Serrano Soccer Club, to multiple Arizona state titles.
Leroux didn’t go far away for her collegiate career, spending four years at UCLA and becoming one of the program’s best ever players. On top of her absurd amount of accolades, which included being named a First-team NSCAA All-American, Leroux’s name is littered all across the UCLA record books. She finished within the top five for goals, points and game-winning goals in program history.
A Canadian Becomes an American Great
The decision to move to America at just 15 years old was one that was controversial, but gave Leroux a shot to play with the USWNT, despite having already spent time playing with Canada’s youth national teams. That is exactly what came to fruition though, as Leroux went on to put together an illustrious career for the U.S.
It started just a couple of years after the move to the States, in which Leroux joined the United States U-20 national team. She would go on to put together an incredible 36 appearances with the team, becoming the U-20 team’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Not long after that, it was time for Leroux to make her mark with the senior team. She did exactly that, appearing in 77 games with the team over a period of seven years. Leroux scored 35 times for the USWNT, while helping contribute to serious achievements such as winning gold at the 2012 Olympics and winning the 2015 FIFA World Cup.
Consistency Across Many Stops
However, perhaps the greatest indicator of Sydney Leroux’s career has been her prolonged success at the professional level. She has spent north of 15 years playing for clubs across North America, still arguably having as much success today as she did in the beginning of her career.
She started her pro career in the W-League, returning to the Vancouver Whitecaps years after playing for them as a 15-year-old. Between them and the Seattle Sounders Women, Leroux scored 13 goals in 13 games across her couple years in the W-League, despite having that time cut considerably due to a pit stop in London for the Olympics.
Then it was onto the Boston Breakers, as Leroux became a part of the NWSL’s inaugural season, making her one of a select few current NWSL players that have been in the league since its very first season. After just a season in Boston, Leroux made appearances with four clubs from 2014 to 2022. This stretch included winning an NWSL Shield in Seattle, and a very productive five seasons in Orlando in which she posted 16 goals across 53 appearances.
Back at BMO Stadium
In 2022, Leroux headed off to Los Angeles to play for Angel City. Leroux made it clear this would be the final stop of a long and successful career. After missing much of the first season with Angel City, she settled in nicely with the club, most notably scoring seven times in 25 games during the 2024 season.
Then in 2025, Leroux announced it was time to take a mental health break and step away from the team for the time being. This resulted in her missing the entirety of the 2025 season, as well as much of the 2026 season– but now she’s back.
Leroux subbed in during Angel City’s duel versus the Washington Spirit on August 16, marking her first appearance since back in November 2024. While an ease into play is expected, the return of an NWSL mainstay with a long and storied career is a great sight for the eyes of football fans across the country and beyond.
Featured image via @annieschutz