Sports

A nice ring: Noël made most of NM United's break by proposing

Nairavoice · Jul 9, 2026 · 4 min read

It’s still new. It may even be a little surreal. But Valentin Noël can’t help but smile and laugh when he hears the introduction.

“Newly-engaged,” after all, has a rather nice ring to it.

“It’s one of those nights you’ll remember forever,” the New Mexico United midfielder said after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Oakland Roots SC.

It certainly was for the 27-year-old Frenchman and now-fiancée Kate Levitt.

And while that was always the (successful) goal, there was just the matter of making sure everything on June 26 went as smoothly as possible. Or at least, that was the hope.

“That was a long setup,” Noël said. “A lot of logistics, as it usually is.”

Even more so when that setup is for a special surprise, for a life-changing event.

The first step? Once Noël got the ring, he needed to plan a proposal location. It just so happened, the USL Championship’s mental health break, and a few days off from training, provided the perfect cover.

A short getaway trip to Durango, Colorado — that also featured United teammates Jake LaCava, Justin Rennicks and Greg Hurst, as well as their partners — worked just fine.

The second part? Setting the scene without giving anything away.

Noël told Levitt he wanted to take her to a restaurant in the mountains, so the couple would have “a little excuse to dress nice.” On the way, they stopped at the Lion’s Den vantage point that overlooks the Durango and La Plata mountains and offers panoramic views of the surrounding area just as the sun started to set.

“So it was pretty,” Noël said. “And (I) said what I prepared to say.”

The third part? Hoping Levitt would say yes.

Naturally, that’s exactly what a happily surprised Levitt did.

“She had no idea and that was my goal,” Noël said with a smile. “Or at least, make sure she did not expect anything. She’s happy about the ring and everything. Great times, memorable times.

“And I hired a photographer as a surprise to just catch the moment for memories 30 to 40 years from now. And the photos turned out amazing.”

Levitt captioned them “Pour la vie” … for life.

And it’s been quite the journey.

The two had met during Noël’s final season at Pitt in 2022 and began officially dating shortly after he was selected by Austin FC in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. Along the way, they’ve made stops in Texas, Las Vegas and now Albuquerque.

“Honestly, both of our families were stoked,” Noël said. “Her parents knew before (I was going to propose) and my parents knew before, but when we announced it, everybody was happy. It was a little bit of a surprise for everyone.”

And no one appeared to enjoy it more than Noël and Levitt.

Now, there is still the matter of a wedding day. So, any plans?

“Not yet,” Noël said. “We’ll enjoy this phase right now a bit.”

David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X @DavidGlovach.