“Don’t write me off!” Those were the exact words Lynn Biyendolo used during a phone call with Emma Hayes, subtly persuading her to select her for the 2024 Paris Olympics. While everyone knows she ultimately made the cut for the gold medal-winning team, the real takeaway from this moment is the tenacity, determination, and grit that Biyendolo displayed, just to earn the chance to represent her country. But fair warning—don’t expect the same from her at the 2031 World Cup!

Why, you ask? Well, that’s because the former Williams has dropped a bombshell retirement admission. But before we discuss this more in detail, let’s understand how we came to this. Well, it all starts on the latest episode of The Women’s Game podcast. Lynn Biyendolo joined her former USWNT teammate and co-host Sam Mewis for the Good Vibes FC segment. Interestingly, during the hour-long conversation, Mewis touched on the topic of her nation potentially winning the hosting rights for the 2031 Women’s World Cup.

The former midfielder insisted how exciting it will be to see the Stars and Stripes ft ladies playing the prestigious tournament at their home soil. Lynn also echoed Sam’s sentiment, saying, “So fun, so exciting.” But quickly enough, Biyendolo made a statement that may come as a shock to many. Brace yourselves as the Seattle Reign star said, “I will be attending as a viewer.”

Umm, hello? Viewer? While that might be your reaction after hearing this statement, Mewis didn’t exactly seem shocked. Instead, she ended up fixating on her own age during the 2031 tournament—38, for the record. Biyendolo, meanwhile, will be 37. Whether that’s an age where the forward can still perform at the top level might seem like a grey area. But in reality, it’s not. Given her current form, we’d bet she’ll still be scoring goals five or six years from now.

Then again, our instincts suggest that the real reason Williams doesn’t see herself making the 2031 World Cup squad is due to team selection. With Emma Hayes having signed a multi-year deal for an undisclosed period, it’s only natural to expect the English boss to lead the U.S. women into what would be her second major tournament after 2027. By then, a new wave of young talent—many of whom are currently rising through the ranks—will probably be in the spotlight.

That leaves Biyendolo with only a slim chance to stake her claim for the tournament. While it is a sad thing to hear, the good thing is that she at least has things sorted for the time being!

Pre and post-retirement plans look sorted for Lynn Biyendolo

Further addressing her potential retirement and talking about her 2031 World Cup plans, Biyendolo added, “I will be icing my back and watching and cheering on the good old US of A.” So we can expect the former Gotham FC star to be fervently cheering from the stands for her former teammates, also hoping they end up winning the tournament.

Further addressing her last days playing the beautiful game, Lynn then shared her vacation plans, urging Mewis to start making preparations for it. “We should start planning now our trip,” said the 31-year-old, with Mewis adding, “We should do a reunion with all of our friends and go.” That only ended up hyping the duo as Lynn added, “That’d be so fun Let’s do it now.”

While we’ll be waiting for those picturesque vacation snaps, at least it’s clear that Biyendolo won’t be playing in the 2031 World Cup. The best she can do is make the most of the upcoming 2027 edition that is set to take place in Brazil.