Above: Chloe Logarzo Berryhill celebrates at the 2019 Women’s World Cup with Matildas teammate Ellie Carpenter. Image: Rachel Bach/By The White Line for Football Australia.
By Genevieve Henry (26/1/26).
Matildas and Western Sydney Wanderers’ Chloe Logarzo Berryhill announced her retirement on Jan. 23 on Instagram, after going down injured in the Wanderers’ clash with Brisbane Roar on Jan. 16. While Berryhill had announced that the 2025-26 season would be her last, she was denied the privilege of going out on her own terms. She suffered an ACL, LCL, and tendon avulsion injury, ending her playing days.
When Chloe Logarzo Berryhill stepped out in the green and gold in December 2024, it was the first time she had played for her country in over two years. She sang the national anthem with tears in her eyes; it was the culmination of the incredible perseverance shown by the Matildas veteran to continue playing through injuries. In the 31st minute, she was forced off through concussion protocol. With tears in her eyes once again, she departed the field.
That image of Berryhill that will remain most prominent in the minds of Matildas fans reminiscing on the career of a player who suffered a second career stanza marred by terrible luck. That game against Chinese Taipei is a real encapsulation of her career; she shone brightly in the brief time she was on, setting a high standard of hard-work for her teammates to follow.
Berryhill would go on to make three more appearances for Australia, in June and July 2025 against Slovenia and Panama, where she wore her married name on the back of her shirt for the first time.
The way Berryhill’s national team career ended is not befitting of a player with her status. In the early and middle years of her career, Berryhill was a critical figure in a thriving Matildas side. From 2017 to 2019, the midfielder went on a tear for the Matildas and helped to propel them to international recognition.
In her 59 appearances, she scored 8 goals — the most memorable of which came in the “Miracle of Montpellier” as she sent a bouncing ball past Brazil to equalize in the must-win World Cup match. Berryhill also recorded an assist and was named player of the match in that game that will forever live on in Australian football history.
From her first appearances in 2013 to her final in July 2025, Berryhill was an integral member of the Matildas, participating in the 2016 Olympics, 2018 Asian Cup, 2019 World Cup, and 2020 Olympics. She was also a part of the famous team that won the 2017 Tournament of Nations and beat the USA for the first time ever.
Berryhill’s luck changed in a 2021 friendly against Ireland, where she tore the ACL in her right knee. Complications with this injury and subsequent knee problems caused her to narrowly miss out on selection for both the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics.
“As I look back on the last decade, I feel nothing but extreme gratitude for the career I have had,” Berryhill said on Instagram after announcing her retirement.
“Through all the challenges, heartbreak, success, and suffering, there have been moments of pure happiness and pride. I accomplished my childhood dream, and along the way I pushed myself past what I thought was possible,” Berryhill wrote. “None of those moments would have been as special without the people and coaches who have made seemingly small snippets of my life feel monumental.”
Although Berryhill finished her A-Leagues career in red and black, she will be remembered as a legend for rivals Sydney FC. She won two A-League championships with the Sky Blues. She was known as one of the best midfielders in the A-League from her first season in 2011 to her final season. She would play for Newcastle Jets and Western United in the A-League Women along with the two Sydney clubs.
Her time at Western United was a triumph, captaining the side in its successful maiden years and scoring 15 goals in 27 appearances. Following the club’s collapse, she chose to spend her final year playing back home in Sydney — and although she only took the field a few times for the Wanderers, she made a real impact.
“Her professionalism and courage set the standard for our squad and countless young women chasing their football dreams. Her retirement leaves an immeasurable gap, but also a legacy that will continue to inspire players for generations,” Wanderers head coach Geoff Abrahams said.
Along with her legacy as one of the best players in Australia’s domestic league, Berryhill played for multiple NWSL clubs in the United States, Bristol City in England, Eskilstuna United in Sweden, Avaldsnes in Norway, and most recently, Como 1907 in Italy.
“Chloe has been nothing short of extraordinary, not only as a footballer but as a human being,” Wanderers chief executive Scott Hudson said in a statement. “While this injury brings her playing days to a close earlier than we all hoped, her legacy is forever ingrained in Australian football.”
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