Gotham FC, the reigning NWSL champion, is set to make history as the first NWSL team to visit the White House for a championship celebration. President Joe Biden will welcome the team on Monday, bringing together most of last season’s squad, including Ali Krieger, who retired at the end of the year.
“This is a monumental moment for the NWSL,” Krieger shared with The Athletic. “I am thrilled that the NWSL is receiving recognition at the White House and that we are the very first NWSL championship team to have a celebration. This will be an incredible moment for the team and for all of us.”
While the White House has previously honored the U.S. women’s national team for their World Cup victory, only one women’s professional soccer team has been celebrated by the White House: Sky Blue FC in 2010 for their 2009 championship win during former President Barack Obama’s first term. Despite being in a different professional league — the Women’s Professional Soccer from 2009 to 2011 — the same franchise will now receive this honor 14 years later.
Krieger and Gotham investor Carolyn Tisch Blodgett highlighted the team’s journey from the bottom to the top, as Gotham barely made it to the 2023 playoffs, securing their spot on the final day of the regular season.
“We see this as an opportunity to acknowledge the hard work that went into winning the championship,” Tisch Blodgett stated. She also emphasized that the team does not view their visit as a political statement. “We were invited by the White House. We were invited by President Biden to celebrate this team.”
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The Athletic’s American soccer team of 2023: NJ/NY Gotham FC
However, Krieger and Tisch Blodgett also see the White House invitation as an opportunity to elevate the status of the NWSL and place it on par with other major sports leagues like the NFL, MLB, and WNBA. Just last week, Biden hosted the undefeated South Carolina women’s basketball team, coached by Dawn Staley, for their NCAA March Madness victory.
“This is a broader statement. This should be the norm,” Tisch Blodgett expressed. “First and foremost, I hope it’s us winning the championship again. If not, I hope that whoever wins the championship also experiences this because we have now set the standard. This is the recognition our players deserve as the best athletes in the world.”
Monday will surely be a historic day for the NWSL, and Krieger hopes to use this platform to advocate for increased coverage and support for women’s sports.
“I want to acknowledge the historical lack of coverage of women’s sports while we’re there and express our gratitude for the support we’ve received. We need to continue highlighting women’s sports,” Krieger emphasized, recognizing that there is still much progress to be made.
Krieger retired after the 2023 season (Ben Nichols / Getty Images)
In February, the Biden-Harris administration announced a partnership between the NWSL, NWSL Players Association, and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition to promote healthy living and physical activity through community events. Gotham FC’s efforts to coordinate a championship celebration began before this agreement, with discussions with the White House starting right after their victory in November 2023.
As Gotham FC faces a busy schedule with playoff battles and the FIFA Club World Cup qualification, the team’s visit to the White House adds another layer of excitement and responsibility.
“It would have been easier to decline and focus on 2024, on winning another championship, but we all felt this was incredibly important,” Tisch Blodgett remarked.
Krieger is looking forward to reuniting with her teammates and reminiscing about the 2023 victory, which she still cherishes months later. Despite having attended a White House celebration with the USWNT after their 2015 World Cup win, Krieger humorously admitted that she wasn’t quite prepared to offer advice on what to expect this time around.
“Listen, I’ve only been once and we were all in awe,” she chuckled. “I don’t even think I was fully present.”
(Top photo: Robyn Beck / Getty Images)