Former USWNT midfielder Allie Long has signed with Fort Lauderdale United FC for the remainder of the 2025-26 USL Super League season, becoming the first World Cup champion to join the league. The 38-year-old announced she's never officially retired, keeping the door open for a comeback after her last full professional season in 2023 with Gotham FC.

Long, who won the 2019 World Cup with the USWNT, brings extensive experience from her time with Portland Thorns, where she claimed two NWSL Championships and an NWSL Shield. Her career also includes stints with Paris Saint-Germain and three seasons in the defunct WPS. Long's decision to join Fort Lauderdale United represents a significant moment for the USL Super League, which launched in 2024 as a sanctioned first-division league.

Fort Lauderdale United chairman Tommy Smith called Long's signing a "defining moment" for the club, emphasizing her role in developing the next generation through their girls academy. Long, who recently lost her father, said she feels this opportunity honors his belief in her and provides a chance to leave the game on her own terms. She will join the team immediately as they push for a playoff spot in the May postseason.