New Zealand captain Ali Riley has revealed her soccer career may be over due to the nerve injury that ruled her out of the Paris Olympics.

The 36-year-old defender was withdrawn from selection on the eve of the Football Ferns' opening match against Canada at the Games.

"Even now, when I don't know if I'll ever be able to play soccer again, that's the reality of the injury I have now," Riley told a Q&A session at an event promoting girls in sport in Los Angeles.

"The lessons I’ve learned, the community that supports me and where I have honed my skills to do other things that spark joy, I feel like I can still be the best version of myself even if I can’t go out there and play games any more."

Riley has made over 160 appearances for New Zealand but has barely played at any level in recent months.

After her Olympic campaign was cancelled she wrote on social media that she was suffering a "frustrating, confusing and excruciatingly painful" nerve injury.

Defender Katie Bowen captained New Zealand in Riley's absence in Paris, where the Ferns lost all three of their group matches.