England star Jess Carter has reflected on a year of “ups and downs” after the Gotham FC star made history by winning the NWSL championship.
The 28-year-old played the full 90 minutes as Gotham FC beat Washington Spirit 1-0 to claim the championship on Saturday night.
It capped off what has been a successful year on the field for Carter, who also played a big part in England’s Euro 2025 triumph.
However, there have been some difficulties too, including being the target of racist abuse while playing for the Lionesses at Switzerland over the summer.
Jess Carter makes history with NWSL success
Gotham FC star Jess Carter made history by winning the NWSL Championship on Saturday.
She became the first player to win a European title (Euro 2025) and a US title (the NWSL Championship) in the same calendar year.
If Gotham FC had lost Sunday’s final, then one of Carter’s England teammates would have instead achieved this feat.
Esme Morgan was also in the Euro 2025 squad but was on the Washington Spirit side that fell short.
JESS CARTER TAKE A BOW🏆🏆
Jess Carter becomes the first player to win a European title (The Euros with the Lionesses) and a US Title (The NWSL Championship with @GothamFC )
Via @GothamFC pic.twitter.com/I9IzhzaKIy
— DAZN Women's Football (@DAZNWFootball) November 23, 2025
What did Jess Carter say after Gotham FC’s NWSL Championship victory?
Rose Lavelle scored the only goal as Juan Carlos Amoros led Gotham FC to a “dream” NWSL Championship on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Jess Carter was asked to give her reflection of 2025, after winning both the NWSL Championship and Euro 2025.
She admitted that, individually, it has been an “up and down year” despite her on-field success.
“I think coming out at the end of it with two huge wins is what I play football for. Obviously, it makes all the up and down moments worth it,” she added.
When asked if she had a message for any young girls looking up to her, she said: “Just keep going, you are as good as you believe you are. Don’t listen to the outside noise and you deserve to be where you want to be.
“We’re all going to have major setbacks. I’ve had a lot this year, and here I am with two huge trophies. So ignore the negative side of it and keep doing what you love.”
Speaking on the match itself, Carter praised her side for physically competing with the Washington Spirit.
She said: “We are a physical team ourselves. As good as Washington obviously did to get to this point, I didn’t feel threatened by their physical style at all.
“We competed with them in every aspect; we just had to bring the game to them as much as they did to us.”
Carter’s 2025
Carter has had a successful 2025, playing huge parts for England and Gotham FC in their respective successes.
The 28-year-old produced a top display in the Euro 2025 final to help the Lionesses beat pre-tournament favourites Spain, successfully defending their European Championship trophy.
Carter finished the 2025 NWSL regular season in shaky form, scoring an own goal and making an error that led to another goal during their 3-2 defeat to North Carolina Courage.
However, she rediscovered her form in the Playoffs, as Gotham FC conceded just one goal over the three matches. Carter’s performances against Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride were particularly impressive.
Off the field, Carter suffered online racist abuse during Euro 2025. This led to the England defender taking a step back from social media and two arrests were made in connection to the abuse over Carter.
