“After a lot of reflection, I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from soccer for my mental health.” A difficult yet honest announcement from Sydney Leroux about three months ago, as she chose to pause her soccer career for a while. It was a moment many could relate to—when giving up feels like the only option. Yet, while others might believe there must have been different ways to handle the situation, for Leroux, there was simply “no other choice.”

The confession came during her recent guest appearance on Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird-hosted A Touch More Podcast. Alongside Sydney was also her fellow Angel City teammate Ali Riley, with whom she also co-hosts her own podcast show called BFFR (Best Friends For Real). “I honestly think there was no other choice for me than to take a step back,” Leroux began.

Well, after hearing about everything she went through, even you might find yourself feeling more for her. The Canadian-born American star recalled that preseason was “super crazy,”—she got into a really bad accident, and her kids fell sick. Things were a “mess“, and she just couldn’t “catch up with anything.”

Forget being able to play soccer, Sydney Leroux insisted that she struggled with making a 5-yard pass. Things came to a point where she lost her own self, not to mention that having kids in the offseason isn’t a break at all. So it eventually compelled her to take the crucial call. “I was able to take a step back and honestly,  loved it, like doesn’t scare me anymore to retire because I’m like, ‘Wow, this is this is not so bad,'” she said.

Notably, following last season’s showing of 25 appearances with seven goals and an assist, Leroux was expected to return in 2025 with even more goals and galore. But the veteran forward ended up announcing her break just a day before ACFC was set to kick off its first game of the season. 

Leroux had confessed that she had begun to realize that retirement might be on the horizon during the 2023 season, which saw her come back from a long-term ankle injury. But this isn’t how the veteran wanted her story to end. She wants to come back. So, it’s fair to say that taking a break might just be the very thing that helps her bounce back, stronger than ever. “It was the best thing that I ever did for myself and for my little fam,” continued Leroux. 

“We just struggle through everything, and we’re supposed to be strong through everything. And I feel like I’ve always done that, and I couldn’t be strong any longer and needed help,” added the former Vancouver Whitecaps star, while also thanking the NWSL and Angel City for being supportive of her decision.

Sure, all of this came at the cost of missing out on some game time. But it eventually helped Leroux understand how exactly she could deal with things in a better way and navigate her personal life a lot more easily. While it seems a good call to do so, what if I tell you she was still forced to hear negative comments about it?

Sydney Leroux received unexpected backlash for prioritizing mental health

During such a tough time, one would expect some moral support, not just from loved ones, and teammates, but also from ardent fans. However, in a shocking incident, not everyone was on the same page. For context, this incident dates back a couple of weeks, when a netizen suggested that Angel City FC should release the forward since she wasn’t available to play.

The netizen wrote on X, “Please release Sydney. No point wasting a roster spot on someone who will not play.” As if this wasn’t dramatic enough, the X post ended up getting Leroux’s attention, and boy did she respond to her critic with a sarcastic comeback. Hilariously, she replied, “God forbid a girl takes care of her wellbeing! 😂” — a pointed reply highlighting how some still criticize athletes for prioritizing mental health. 

Savage as always, but let’s hope that Sydney Leroux makes her comeback on the pitch in a similar fashion.