Midge Purce Stats & News: The Comeback Queen Eyes Her Next Chapter

Midge Purce just completed one of the most remarkable comeback seasons in NWSL history.

Less than 20 months after tearing her ACL against Portland Thorns in March 2024, Purce played every minute of the 2025 NWSL Championship as Gotham FC defeated Washington Spirit 1-0 to claim their second title in three years. She entered the mixed zone after the final whistle smoking a cigar, the same way she celebrated her 2023 championship MVP performance.

“This season is so long and hard,” Purce said. “But then you get to these moments and this is the fun part.”

The 30-year-old returned to the pitch in April 2025 and recorded an assist in just her second game back. In May, she scored her first goal since the injury, converting a penalty in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup semifinal against Club América. Gotham went on to win that tournament 1-0 against Tigres, becoming the inaugural champions.

Two titles in one season. After missing all of 2024. That is the Midge Purce story.

Purce’s return from ACL surgery exceeded all expectations.

Season Numbers

2025 Milestones

• Reached 10,000 career minutes in all NWSL competitions (May 4)
• Made 75th overall NWSL appearance (April 13)
• Made 50th regular-season appearance for Gotham (April 26)
• Won second NWSL Championship
• Won inaugural CONCACAF W Champions Cup

Purce was not at full capacity for most of the regular season as she rebuilt fitness and sharpness. But when the playoffs arrived, she was ready. She started all three postseason matches as Gotham became the first eighth seed to win the NWSL Championship.

🟡 ON THE OUTSIDE — Not called up since ACL injury

Purce has 30 caps for the United States women’s national team with five goals and four assists. She won the 2021, 2022, and 2023 SheBelieves Cup, the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, and the 2024 W Gold Cup.

However, she has not received a call-up from head coach Emma Hayes in 2025. The May roster announcement noted Purce was “just returned to the Gotham starting lineup after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury” and did not make the cut. She was not included in subsequent windows either.

With Hayes prioritizing younger players and expanding the player pool ahead of 2027 World Cup qualifying, Purce faces an uphill battle to return. But her championship form in November could change the calculus.

Hayes on roster philosophy: “We want to continue to improve our understanding of how we want to play and widen the player pool.”

🟡 FREE AGENT — Future uncertain

Purce’s one-year contract with Gotham FC expired at the end of the 2025 season. She has not re-signed with any club.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated just days ago, Purce was noncommittal about her next move.

Purce on her future: “I’m still just recovering from the crazy year that we’ve had. It’s felt like one of the longest years I think I’ve had in the league considering I was still coming back from my ACL injury in the preseason. But I’ve always said that the best type of offseason is the one coming from a championship. You just rest and sleep a lot better, so I’m enjoying that before I get back into my offseason training.”

At 30 and coming off a second championship, Purce will have suitors. The question is whether she returns to Gotham, explores a new challenge, or potentially pursues a European move.

Purce has built one of the most impressive off-field portfolios in women’s sports.

• Black Women’s Player Collective: Co-founder and board member of the BWPC, a nonprofit advancing opportunities for Black girls in sport
• Harvard Board of Overseers: Elected to a six-year term in 2022 with support from Harvard Forward, a climate activism group
• The Offseason: Creator and CEO of the reality TV series starring NWSL players in training, which premiered in 2024
• Broadway: Appeared in the musical Chicago earlier in 2025
• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: Featured model
• ManningCast: Became the first professional soccer player (male or female) to appear on the Manning brothers’ Monday Night Football broadcast on December 1, 2025
• Forbes 30 Under 30: Named to the 2023 Sports list for her work with the BWPC
• White House: Appeared alongside Megan Rapinoe in 2021 to advocate for equal pay

Purce on her approach: “People are asking me if I’m preparing for life off the field. I’m just like, no, I really enjoy soccer. I love it. It’s something I’m good at. I have other things that really fulfill me, and one of those things is creating and building.”

Gotham GM Yael Averbuch West: “Midge brings a number of great qualities to our team, and her dynamism and experience are great additions to our talented attacking group.”

Teammate Rose Lavelle: “I adore playing with her, and I adore her off the field.”

Gotham Governor Carolyn Tisch Blodgett: “When we slipped into eighth place heading into the playoffs, everyone thought our story was over. But this team doesn’t follow storylines, this team rewrites them.”

Midge Purce has done what few athletes manage: come back from a devastating injury to win a championship, expand her influence beyond the pitch, and remain one of the most compelling personalities in American sports.

Now she faces a decision. Stay with Gotham and chase a three-peat? Seek a new challenge elsewhere? Push for a USWNT return ahead of the 2027 World Cup cycle?

Whatever she chooses, count on Purce to do it on her own terms.

Stats current as of December 2, 2025. Sources: Gotham FC, U.S. Soccer, NWSL, FBref.