In case you’ve been living under a rock and somehow missed it, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team made history on July 7 with their second consecutive World Cup victory (and their fourth overall). The players have reached celebrity status for their amazing athleticism, as well as their fierce advocacy for equal pay in sports. Two of the most-talked-about women on the team are goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and defender Ali Krieger, who are not only teammates, but fiancées, as well. Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger's relationship timeline is guaranteed to make you fall in love with them.
The two stars, who both played in the 2019 World Cup, are set to get married later this year. They’ve been playing on the national team together for almost a decade, which is how their love story began — and along the way, they’ve accumulated a fierce army of fans who have lovingly dubbed them “Krashlyn.” To celebrate their win and also their engagement, which was announced in March 2019, I’ve compiled a timeline of their entire relationship. And trust me, it’s pretty freaking cute.
Wondering how they first met and how they balance their personal lives and careers while working together? Read on for the backstory on these two sports legends.
According to People, Harris and Krieger met while training together on the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2010. “We became really close friends, and we just hung out, we clicked, and we had so much in common,” Harris told the magazine. Soon, their friendship blossomed into something more.
It’s unclear at what point they decided to become more than friends… and at any rate, they weren’t very public about their relationship at the beginning. But it’s clear from social media that the two women were close. They had picnics together, went on vacation, and just generally enjoyed each other’s company.
On January 1, 2015, Harris posted a photo with Krieger captioned “Happy New Year!” picturing the couple dressed up for Alex Morgan’s wedding, which they attended as each other’s date. Fans went wild in the comments, finally feeling like their theories about Krieger and Harris dating had merit. Although neither women confirmed the relationship, Krashlyn stans were born.
After their final game of the season for the Orlando Pride (the professional team they both play for), Harris and Krieger were vacationing in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Vogue reports that as they were taking a selfie, Harris told Krieger to move her hand out of the frame, then revealed that she was holding an engagement ring.
It was big news for the couple’s relationship, but they still kept things private. This might have been partially due to their working relationship — Harris later told People that they wanted to keep their athletic careers a priority. “We wanted to be professional and make sure that we showed up every day and did our job and it wasn’t just because we were together, it was because we love what we do, and we’re really good at what we do,” she explained in March 2019.
After adventuring together in the Caribbean, Harris and Krieger both posted photos from the trip… and they were super romantic. In Krieger’s photo, Harris could be seen kissing her on the cheek, and in Harris’ post, she wrote: “If I’m ever to leave this life early, I want to be remembered exactly like this… in your arms, under a waterfall.”
While it wasn’t an official relationship confirmation, it might as well have been. From that point on, their posts about each other were a lot more overtly romantic.
Finally, the day Krashlyn fans had been waiting for! On March 14, 2019, Krieger posted photos from their engagement shoot with People, writing, “she really rocks my boat.” Harris followed up with another photo on March 15, captioned, “She said YES!!!”
When interviewed by People, the couple shared their favorite things about one another. “It was her big, beautiful brown eyes [that drew me in],” Harris said of Krieger. “She has these unbelievable tiger eyes. I just felt like every time she was talking, I wasn’t even paying attention to what she was saying.”
Krieger said Harris helped her open up and be herself: “Since being with Ash, I really feel like I’ve blossomed into the woman that I want to be, and she’s helped me become the woman I am.”
Krashlyn became a hot topic on social media once again when the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team won the World Cup. On July 7, team co-captain Megan Rapinoe posted a photo with the couple and wrote, “We already discussed this. Science is science. Gays rule.”
Their exact wedding date is unknown, but it’s clear we’ll be seeing more of Harris and Krieger together in the months to come. And I, for one, am totally here for this couple. They’ve managed to maintain a personal relationship while working together for nine years, which is no small feat! They've got athletic talent in spades, and also a really sweet and loving bond. Dare I say... they're goals in so many ways.
