Hope Solo has been through plenty of highs and lows — both personal and professional — since beginning her U.S. soccer career.
Solo was a goalkeeper for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team from 2000 to 2016, winning two Olympic gold medals and a FIFA World Cup title. She was widely considered the best in her field, but her legacy has been tarnished for some fans due to multiple controversies.
Before her contract was officially terminated, Solo was suspended more than once by the U.S. Soccer Federation, most notably in 2016 after the Rio Olympics. When the American athletes were defeated by the Swedish team and knocked out of medal contention, Solo called her opponents “a bunch of cowards.” She was officially axed from the team following her comments.
“For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the U.S. Women’s National Team and did the job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how — with passion, tenacity, an unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my country, but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes,” she wrote in a social media statement in August 2016. “In those commitments, I have never wavered. And with so much more to give, I am saddened by the Federation’s decision to terminate my contract.”
Scroll down to look back at Solo’s ups and downs over the years:
