Last week, New Zealand women’s soccer captain Ali Riley was sidelined mere days before she was set to play in her fifth Olympics.
She shared in an Instagram post that she had been dealing with an “excruciatingly painful” nerve injury for seven months leading up to the Games and, ultimately, her coach thought it would be best to withdraw her from the squad.
“There have been A LOT of tears and I’m still struggling to wrap my head around it all,” Riley wrote. “But what I do know is that while my Olympic journey has ended, my Olympic dream – the Football Ferns making history at Paris 2024 – is just beginning. Now I will take time to heal, cheer on my teammates, and embrace the unwavering support I’ve been receiving from people near and far.”
In a video posted by Riley on Tuesday, the New Zealand squad honored Riley with a performance of the Haka, a traditional dance meant to display pride, strength and unity. Her caption was, simply, “Healing.”
Riley, 36, represented New Zealand in five Women’s World Cups and was named captain of the Football Ferns in 2017.
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