Angel City FC star Sydney Leroux pens emotional message for daughter Roux on her sixth birthday

Olympic gold medalist, soccer star, Sydney Leroux, shared a heartwarming message for her daughter, Roux James, on her sixth birthday. The forward of Angel City FC is currently on a break from soccer to focus on her mental health.

The Surrey, Canada, native Sydney Leroux is an elite soccer player who represented Canada youth teams before playing for the United States. She was a notable member of the US women's national U-20 team and made 77 international appearances with the United States women's national soccer team. She won the FIFA Women's World Cup with the team in 2015 and won the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics.

She married Dom Dwyer, a soccer player from England, in 2015, and the couple welcomed their son, Cassius Cruz, in 2016, and their daughter, Roux James, in 2019. In 2021, the soccer icon announced her divorce from Dwyer. Through her Instagram post, Leroux expressed her heartwarming wishes for her daughter on her sixth birthday.

"Happy 6th Birthday to my sissy girl! The funniest, sassiest and most wonderfully naughty little light in my life. You keep us laughing with your little one liners, big personality and those big eyes that always mean mischief. You teach me every day that joy lives in the chaos and that love is loud and silly and messy. I’m so proud to be your mommy. ❤️"

Sydney Leroux is currently playing with the NWSL league's team, the Angel City FC, and has appeared in 42 NWSL matches, holding the eighth spot in the all-time scoring list. In her 2024 NWSL regular season, she posted seven goals in 24 matches, making it one of her most successful seasons.

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Sydney Leroux reflects on her break from soccer, highlighting mental health reasons

Sydney Leroux at the Angel City FC Media Day - Source: Getty

Through her Instagram post on May 16, 2025, the soccer icon revealed that she is taking time off from the sport to focus on her mental health. While reflecting on her difficult decision, she shared:

“This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to say or admit to myself. But after a lot of reflection, I've made the difficult decision to step away from soccer for my mental health. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a fighter—I always have been.”

She continued,

"This isn't goodbye, I will be back, just like always in true Syd fashion."

At the collegiate level, Leroux represented the UCLA Bruins and led the team in scoring for three seasons, along with other notable accolades.

Edited by Rupesh