She was a goalkeeper for the United States women's national soccer team from 2000 to 2016, and is a World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

She was the starting goalkeeper for the majority of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and helped lead the U.S. national team to the semifinals having given up only two goals in four games, including three consecutive shutouts.

During the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, her goalkeeping skills were highlighted, especially during a quarter-final match against Brazil, which the U.S. won on penalty kicks.

[16][17][18] Her father, an Italian-American Vietnam War veteran, who was in and out of her life as a child and teenager, taught her how to play soccer at a young age.

[19] When Solo was seven, her father picked her and her brother Marcus up to go to a baseball game in the nearby city of Yakima, but ended up driving over three hours west to Seattle, where they stayed for several days at a hotel.

[21] Although her parents had divorced when she was six and she lived with her mother, Solo maintained a close relationship with her father after reconnecting with him during her college years at the University of Washington.

[22][23] As a forward at Richland High School, Solo scored 109 goals, leading her team to three consecutive league titles from 1996 to 1998 and a state championship during her senior year.

[28][29][30] Solo became the top goalkeeper in Pac-10 history and finished her collegiate career as Washington's all-time leader in shutouts (18), saves (325) and goals against average (GAA) (1.02).

Solo's comments on social networking website Twitter led to two separate controversies after she accused Boston Breakers supporters of offensive chanting and racist remarks toward a teammate, then questioned the integrity of match officials and the league itself following the Beat's 1–0 defeat to Washington Freedom.

Between her shoulder surgery recovery, national team commitments and preparation for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, Solo missed a significant part of the season.

Despite the relatively high salary reportedly offered by Manchester, Reign FC coach Laura Harvey expected Solo to return to the NWSL for 2014, to safeguard her place in the national team.

[44] After US Soccer suspended Solo and terminated her national team contract in August 2016 for saying that Sweden "played like cowards,"[62] she was granted "personal leave" by the Reign for the remainder of the NWSL season.

[66] In 2004, Solo joined the national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens as an alternate behind primary goalkeeper Briana Scurry and backup Kristin Luckenbill.

[13] Solo was the starting goalkeeper for the United States in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, surrendering two goals in four games, including consecutive shutouts of Sweden, Nigeria and England.

Before the semifinal match against Brazil, U.S. coach Greg Ryan benched Solo in favor of 36-year-old veteran keeper Briana Scurry, who had a strong history of performance against the Brazilians but had not played a complete game in three months.

[91] Preceding the Summer Olympics, Solo received a public warning from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after a June 15 urine test detected the banned substance canrenone.

[102] On September 13, she set a new record with her 72nd shutout in a friendly match against Mexico, an 8–0 win for the U.S.[103] On January 21, 2015, Solo was suspended by the national team for 30 days following an undisclosed incident at a training camp.

[107] During the semi-final match against top-ranked Germany, she used stalling tactics to try to put the tournament's high scorer, Célia Šašić, off her rhythm at a penalty kick.

[112] On July 9, 2016, Solo earned her 100th international shutout, 150th career win and 197th cap in a friendly game against South Africa at Soldier Field in Chicago.

[122][123][124] The International Olympic Committee called Solo's comments "disappointing" but said that she was unlikely to face formal disciplinary action, adding "People are free to say those things.

"[127] Swedish players Lotta Schelin, Lisa Dahlkvist and Kosovare Asllani voiced their empathy for Solo, dismissing her comments as having been said during the heat of the moment.

[135] In announcing a legal challenge to U.S. Soccer's action, the players' lawyer Rich Nichols termed it "excessive, unprecedented, disproportionate, and a violation of Ms. Solo's First Amendment rights.

[168][169][170][171][172] Senator Richard Blumenthal sent a sternly worded letter to U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati admonishing the organization for allowing Solo to remain on the World Cup roster and accusing them of inadequately addressing the charges of domestic violence.

[177] Attorney Melissa Osman, who represents the city, wrote in court documents that the circumstances of the case were "unlikely to recur”, and prosecution witnesses did not wish to testify.

On January 19, 2015, Solo's husband Jerramy Stevens was arrested in Manhattan Beach, California for suspicion of DUI[178] while he had been driving the U.S. Soccer team van.

[182][183] Solo has signed endorsement deals with Seiko, Simple Skincare, Nike, BlackBerry, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts and Gatorade.

[187] In September 2011, she starred in an EA Sports television commercial with professional basketball player Steve Nash, promoting FIFA 12.

[195][196][197] In August 2011, she joined teammates Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach in a Bank of America charitable campaign at the Chicago Marathon, with $5,000 donated to the Seattle Humane Society on her behalf.

[198][199] In 2012, Solo was one of 15 professional athletes including Shaun Phillips, Tim Lincecum, Ray Rice who participated in Popchips' Game Changers program.

[220] In June 2017 Solo appeared alongside Eric Cantona in a whimsical Eurosport promo segment in which she was presented as the network's "Commissioner of Women's Football.