J.J. Watt blasts MLS club for snubbing USWNT champion wife Kealia in viral photo caption

J.J. Watt publicly criticized Real Salt Lake after the MLS side welcomed him and his family to the stadium on social media but failed to identify his wife, Kealia Ohai Watt, despite her deep ties to Utah and standout soccer career.

Watt and Kealia, who are minority investors in Burnley FC, were at America First Field this week as Burnley took on Real Salt Lake in a friendly.

After the match, Real Salt Lake’s official X account posted a photo of the couple walking through the tunnel with their son.

The caption, however, read: “Welcome to the Riot, JJ Watt and fam.”

That wording quickly sparked a response from the former NFL star, who pointed out that the club had overlooked a player with a remarkable list of achievements — in the very state where she made her name.

“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,” J.J. wrote.

“Could probably be worth a mention, but idk.”

Long before her professional career and appearances for the United States Women’s National Team, Kealia was one of Utah’s most celebrated high school athletes, starring in Draper.

She later won a national title at North Carolina and was selected second overall in the NWSL draft, making the omission all the more glaring given the setting and her local legacy.

Real Salt Lake soon removed the original post and released a public apology acknowledging the mistake.

“We made an honest mistake yesterday and we are sincerely sorry for that,” the team wrote in a statement. “When we welcomed the Watt family to America First Field, we should have recognized Kealia Watt for exactly who she is.”

“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.”

“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 later finished her professional playing career with the Chicago Red Stars and in 2026 added a new role as co-host of the women’s soccer podcast Style of Play with Julie Ertz.”

The post then concluded: “@KealiaOhai, @JJWatt — we are deeply sorry. Thank you for all you do for the sport.”

The exchange prompted plenty of praise from fans, many of whom said it was refreshing to see a female athlete’s accomplishments defended so directly instead of being overshadowed by her spouse’s fame.

By stepping in immediately, Watt made sure his wife’s résumé was impossible to ignore — and turned a careless social media post into a reminder that Kealia Ohai Watt’s name belongs front and center in any conversation about soccer in Utah.