On Sunday, 1 November, Wales legend Jess Fishlock will take to the pitch for Seattle Reign against Orlando Pride, not knowing whether it will be her final match. The Reign, the club Fishlock has called home since 2013, are competing with NC Courage and Denver Summit for the final National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) play-off spot. Beat Orlando, and Seattle - with whom the 39-year-old has won three NWSL Shields - guarantee an eighth play-off berth in Fishlock's 14-season stint in Washington state.
NC Courage and Denver Summit boast a higher goal difference than Reign and sit two and three points behind them respectively, but face each other on the final day. "I've been in this league long enough to understand how this works. I think we've had a couple of situations like this before," said Fishlock.
"The beauty of it is you just get to focus on football, which is ultimately all we want to do as players. "All I want to do is get this group into another round of play-offs and see what happens after that. There's a lot going on, which is so fun and so exciting." Wales in fight to retain rising female stars Fishlock called an end to her international career in October 2025, having represented Wales 166 times - a record for men and women.
She signed a new contract in Seattle a month later, before confirming in April that she would retire at the conclusion of the 2026 NWSL campaign. Fishlock has never won the NWSL play-offs, finishing as runner-up on three separate occasions in 2014, 2015 and, most recently, in 2023. Progression to the eight-team knockout stage would extend her glittering club career, which includes two Champions League titles, and offer the chance to bow out in style.
Reign will honour the veteran midfielder, with several activities planned around the stadium, including a commemorative photo booth and dedicated merchandise. Several members of Fishlock's family have flown out to the Pacific Northwest so they can be among the expected 16,000-strong crowd at Lumen Field. "I don't think I've had this many family out, ever.
It's been a little crazy," Fishlock added. "I'm not used to having little Rugrats running around everywhere, taking all of my spare energy that I need. "I will really be able to enjoy it post-game.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
