Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake has apologized to soccer star Kealia Watt for referring to her only as JJ Watt’s wife in a social media post.
On Wednesday, the team shared a picture of the two sports stars with their three-year-old son, writing on X: “Welcome @JJWatt and fam.”
Former NFL defensive JJ responded to the post with a list of his wife’s sporting accolades, including four Utah state championships, as well as earning Gatorade Player of the Year twice and National Player of the Year.
“The woman in the photo grew up literally down the road, won 4 Utah state championships (1 in this exact stadium), Gatorade Player of the Year twice, National Player of the Year, scored the fastest first goal in USWNT history…” JJ wrote in response. “Could probably be worth a mention, but idk [I don’t know].”
Real Salt Lake shared an apology Thursday, writing: “We made an honest mistake yesterday and we are sincerely sorry for that. When we welcomed the Watt family to America First Field, we should have recognized Kealia Watt for exactly who she is.”
The team then shared a summary of Kealia’s sporting legacy.
“Kealia is a Utah native and one of the most decorated players to ever come out of this state. Kealia won four state championships with her club and four more in high school, and was a two-time Utah Gatorade Athlete of the Year. She was a U.S. youth national teamer at 13. At the U-20 level, she scored the game-winning goal in the World Cup final,” the post continued.
“She started four years at North Carolina, won a national title with the Tar Heels, then went No. 2 overall in the NWSL draft to the Houston Dash, and was the franchise’s first-ever college pick. She then became their captain with 114 appearances and 28 goals. Kealia finished her career with the Chicago Stars (then known as the Red Stars) and is now a soccer analyst for Amazon Prime Video.”
“@KealiaOhai, @JJWatt — we are deeply sorry. Thank you for all you do for the sport.”
Kealia, 34, is a former member of the U.S. Women’s National Team who played in the National Women’s Soccer League. She now co-hosts the podcast Style of Play with former soccer star Julie Ertz.
JJ, 37, an NFL game analyst for CBS Sports, stepped away from professional football after the 2022 season, finishing a 12-year career with the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2023, the couple purchased a stake in the English soccer club Burnley F.C., which played in the Premier League last season.
