American Soccer Player Clint Dempsey Has a Large Family
Clint retired from the sport in 2018.
Published April 15 2026, 3:23 p.m. ET
Retired American soccer star Clint Dempsey has a very large family, and his fans want to know more about his family life following his 2018 retirement. Clint announced his retirement from professional soccer on Aug. 29, 2018, after 15 seasons. He played soccer with the New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham, the Seattle Sounders, and the U.S. Men’s National Team.
“After a lot of thought, my family and I have decided that this is the right time for me to step away from the game,” he said in a statement.
“I’d like to thank all of the teammates, coaches, and support staff that I’ve worked with throughout my career," he continued. "It has always been my dream to make it as a pro ... I would like to thank all of the fans who have supported me throughout my career with the New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham, Seattle Sounders, and the U.S. Men’s National Team. Y’all have always made me feel at home, and it is something that I will always remember.”
Several years after his exit, fans want to know about Clint's family.
Clint Dempsey has a large family.
Clint and his wife, Bethany, have a very large family. The couple shares six children — Elyse, Fifi, Maevy, Jackson, Clay, and Linc, per 12 News Now.
The family was with Clint when he was honored by his former team, the Seattle Sounders FC, at CenturyLink Field after he retired back in 2018. Bethany also rose to fame after she posed for an infamous cover for Sports Illustrated wearing nothing but body paint.
Clint explained on The Crack Podcast in 2021 that he retired because he was "burned out" after having two heart surgeries.
“I got burned out," he said. “Dealing with those two heart procedures ... It wasn’t life-threatening, but it was career-threatening. I felt like I couldn’t go at 100 percent. I don’t know if it was mentally or if it was just what my body was telling me."
All about Clint Dempsey's children and parents.
According to The National Soccer Hall of Fame, Clint was born to Aubrey and Debbie Dempsey in Nacogdoches, Texas, in 1983. Clint's dedicated parents would drive him 200-miles round trip for soccer practice three times a week in Dallas. A tragedy occurred in the family when Clint was just 12. His 16-year-old sister, Jennifer, who was a tennis player, died of a brain aneurysm.
Clint recalled his sister's death and said faith helped him to get through.
"All you can do is kind of wake up each day and keep pushing forward,” he said. “Your faith is what kind of gives you peace in the situation, believing that she’s in a better place and one day you’ll see each other again. That’s kind of been the way me and my family have always looked at it.”
His son, Jackson, has followed in his father's footsteps and plays soccer for the Charlotte FC Academy in Charlotte, NC, and Clint now works as a broadcaster for the sport.