Super Falcons star announces shock retirement: ‘Natural conclusion’

US-born Super Falcons striker Ifeoma Onumonu has announced her retirement from professional football. The forward, who represented the Super Falcons at major tournaments, confirmed the decision in a heartfelt message shared on social media.

Onumonu reflected on a career that stretched across more than two decades, tracing her earliest memories back to playing for a local youth side in California at the age of eight. Football, she said, was an instant love, one that carried her from grassroots beginnings to the highest levels of the women’s game.

“I didn’t much care about winning or losing; I just loved playing,” she wrote. “I loved discovering what my body could do and what I could do with the ball. Now, 22 years later, I feel I have reached a natural conclusion to that discovery.”

From California to Nigeria: A Super Falcons career across two continents

Onumonu’s club career took her to Europe and the United States. She featured briefly in France with Montpellier after becoming a familiar figure in the National Women’s Soccer League. Stints at Portland Thorns, Boston Breakers, Utah Royals, Reign FC and Gotham FC saw her develop into a reliable attacker, capped by the joy of lifting the NWSL Championship trophy.

Her international story began in 2021 when she committed to Nigeria, the country of her parents. She went on to represent the Super Falcons at the 2024 Olympic Games, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (2022 and 2024), where she was part of the squad that secured a record-extending 10th continental crown.

Although stepping away from the pitch, Onumonu stressed that her connection to football endures. She described retirement as a new beginning and expressed excitement about exploring roles off the field, while thanking teammates, coaches, supporters and family for their support.