U.S. soccer stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press reveal they’ve been a couple for 8 years
After years of fan speculation, Tobin Heath and Christen Press confirmed they have been in a relationship for the past eight years.
The U.S. soccer stars opened up about their romance during Sunday's episode of the “Watch with Alex Cooper” Olympics show on Peacock.
“Tobin and I were not really friends. We weren’t really running in the same circles. And then as soon as I actually got to know her, there was just, like, a magnetism,” said Press, recalling the early days of her relationship with Heath. “And I was like, that’s what I want. And I never looked back. I still feel the exact same way.”
“The other day, someone just said to us, ‘Oh, you guys, these guys just met, you look like you’re in love,’” Press continued. “And I’m like, ‘No, it’s been eight years.’”
Heath also opened up about her joy and gratitude about their relationship.
“Sometimes we look at each other, we’re just like, is this actually like real? Are we that lucky?” she said.
Heath, 36, and Press, 35, both previously played on the U.S. women’s national soccer team.
While they did not publicly confirm they were an item for several years, Press said the people close to them had long known about their relationship.
“Our teammates knew. … We were never, like, in the closet, like hiding it. Our people always knew what was going on with us,” she said.
However, especially while they were playing on the same team, Heath said they wanted to keep a “protective bubble” around their romance. This began to shift once they were no longer teammates on the U.S. national team.
“It wasn’t until we kind of weren’t playing on the same team that it was a little bit easier for us to come forward and kind of share our relationship a little bit,” Press said.
First impressions
It’s unclear exactly when Heath and Press first met, but it appears to have been around when Press joined the U.S. national team.
Press was named as an alternate forward for Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics, while Heath was a midfielder.
Heath talked about what first drew her to Press during their recent interview with Alex Cooper.
“She’s really good at scoring goals. I wasn’t that good at scoring goals. I thought I could learn a little something,” she joked.
Heath opened up more about her first impressions of Press during a recent episode of their “The RE-CAP Show with Tobin Heath and Christen Press” podcast.
“I thought you were a little bit of a mystery,” Heath said. “I feel like you were a little detached from the group, and I think I was like a little curious to who you were.
“There are so many big personalities on the team … but for you, the way that you came onto the team I feel like was very kind of under the radar,” she added. “And I think I was very curious. I was like, who is this chick?”
'Teammates, roommates, co-CEOs'
As Heath and Press shared in their recent interview with Cooper, they have been in a relationship for eight years — meaning they started dating circa 2016.
They played together on the U.S. national team for several years before this.
They were often photographed celebrating victories together on the field with the rest of their teammates, including in 2013 during a friendly match in the Netherlands.
Press and Heath were later both named to the national team squad for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which the U.S. ended up winning.
In 2019, Press and Heath co-founded lifestyle brand RE-INC along with fellow soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Meghan Klingenberg.
The brand offers “eco-conscious fashion” and “creative goods” designed for “all gender identities and body types,” as well as a membership platform, according to the company’s website.
The pair also launched a podcast, the “RE-CAP Show,” in conjunction with their lifestyle brand, in which they discuss global soccer and women’s sports.
“We are teammates, roommates, co-CEOs,” Press said during their recent interview with Cooper. “We co-host our show. We pretty much co- everything, that’s kind of our jam.”
“So it’s a good thing I love you,” she added with a laugh to Heath.
Both Press and Heath signed one-year contracts with the U.K.’s Manchester United Women’s team in 2020.
Heath had to step away from the club earlier than planned after sustaining an ankle injury, while Press completed the season, making 17 appearances and scoring four goals, according to ESPN.
“Grateful for an incredible season at @manutdwomen,” Press wrote on Instagram in May 2021. “I learned so much playing alongside such a humble, ambitious, and hardworking group. You girls keep me young! GGMU!!”
Social media posts fueled speculation
Over the past few years, Heath and Press have been sharing loving posts about each other on social media, fueling relationship rumors.
In 2021, Press shared a selfie of her with her arm around Heath during a winter excursion.
In September 2023, Heath shared a photo of her and Press smiling, along with the caption, “You know you make my world light up.”
This April, Heath shared a photo of her and Press embracing in a field of yellow flowers with the caption, “The wild ones.”
And in May, Press posted a photo of herself cozying up to Heath in honor of her partner’s birthday.
“Didn’t have time for a birthday post because I was busy ensuring you had the best day ever. So…HBD+1 @tobinheath,” she wrote in the caption.
They have also been spotted holding hands a few times at public events.
They were photographed holding pinkies at the 2023 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, and in December 2022, they stood hand in hand on the red carpet as they attended the Grassroot Soccer World AIDS Day Gala in New York City.
