After nearly two years away, Angel City forward Sydney Leroux has officially returned to the field. Leroux entered in second-half stoppage time of Sunday's 1-1 draw between Angel City and the Washington Spirit, making her first appearance since November 2024. Ahead of the 2025 season, Leroux announced she was stepping away from the game to focus on her mental health. She ended up missing all of the season as well as the first several months of the 2026 campaign. "To be honest … this past year was hell. The hardest year of my life," Leroux said on Instagram in March. "Heartbreaking, isolating and devastating. A year that will stay with me forever. A year that changed me. I’ve shared wins and losses, grief and joy, the humor and chaos of motherhood, moments that make life messy and beautiful." Leroux shared in November 2025 that she had been diagnosed with anorexia.
Sydney Leroux returns to the pitch for the first time since November 1, 2024 🥹 pic.twitter.com/bqQ3qzzZ2y — espnW (@espnW) August 17, 2026 Leroux, 36, joined Angel City during the club's expansion season in 2022. She is one of just three players currently in the NWSL who played in the league's inaugural 2013 campaign (Jess Fishlock, Alyssa Naeher). The forward was born in Canada but opted to represent the U.S. at the international level. Leroux has earned 77 caps with the U.S. women's national team during her career, winning the World Cup in 2015. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angel City forward Sydney Leroux returns after nearly two years out