Real Salt Lake apologizes after JJ Watt calls them out for not identifying his wife Kealia, a former NWSL player

Real Salt Lake welcomed NFL great JJ Watt and former NWSL player Kealia Watt to a game on Wednesday. Just not necessarily by name.

>The MLS squad found itself apologizing a day later after JJ called them out for only identifying him in a tweet welcoming the family, despite A) Kealia being the one who professionally played the sport in question and B) growing up in nearby Draper, Utah.

>JJ listed his wife’s accomplishments as “probably worth a mention.”

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…

Could probably be worth a mention, but idk. https://t.co/ZJem8Nt9vo

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 16, 2026Four hours after Watt’s tweet, which did not go unnoticed by the rest of the internet, Real Salt Lake apologized for the “honest mistake” and proceeded to reel off a two-paragraph bio about Kealia’s soccer career.

>That career included four Utah state championships in high school, a national title at North Carolina and eight NWSL seasons between the Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars.

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.

Kealia is a Utah native and one of the most decorated players to ever come out of this… https://t.co/6p70X3A2QBpic.twitter.com/cT2fNVv6v4

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) July 16, 2026Kealia now works as an analyst for Amazon Prime Video. The couple also owns a minority stake in EFL Championship club Burnley.

>Real Salt Lake defeated Burnley, 4-1, in Thursday’s exhibition match.