Christine Sinclair is hanging on to her football boots – or at least her Canadian ones.
The 40-year-old professional athlete, one of the most famous footballers of all time, first teased her retirement from international football with a vague Instagram post on Thursday.
Shortly after, Canada Soccer made the news official on their social media accounts, dedicating several posts to Sinclair, the leading scorer in international soccer.
“Christine Sinclair is leaving international football at the end of 2023 🍁,” read one post. “It will mark the end of a remarkable 24-year international career in which ‘Captain Everything’ carried and transformed the nation like few other athletes in the history of Canadian sport. #ThankYouSinc 🐐”
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In another post, Canada Soccer, Sinclair’s home since 2000, rounded up some of the icon’s greatest achievements.
According to the organization, in 327 international appearances in the decorated striker’s career, she has scored 190 goals, making her the all-time leading scorer in international football. (Cristiano Ronaldo, the top scorer in men’s international football, has 127.)
A two-time Canadian Athlete of the Year, Sinclair helped her country win three Olympic medals, one gold and one bronze. She was also named Canada’s Female Soccer Player of the Year a record 14 times and was the first female soccer player to be named an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Christine Sinclair is playing in 2023.
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In a statement, Charmaine Crooks, president of Canada Soccer, congratulated Sinclair on “a stellar career that has been remarkable and inspiring both on and off the field.”
“While her days as an active player on the women’s national team are coming to an end, her legacy will live on in the hearts and ambitions of so many young athletes across Canada and around the world,” added Crooks.
Bev Priestman, head coach of the women’s national team, also shared a message after Sinclair announced his retirement.
“Very few players can lace up their boots and surpass the sport in this country and globally,” she wrote. “Christine has done just that – both as a player and as a person. She is known and admired by all Canadians and was instrumental in every moment of stopping the country.”
Priestman continued: “I feel very lucky and privileged to have worked with Christine, the greatest of all time, not only in what she did, but in the way she did it. The moment Christine’s last kick or the final whistle for this country, she can leave the field knowing that she has changed this game forever, inspired an entire generation and paved the way for a better future for all with her work off the field.”
“It’s a huge legacy,” she concluded.
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Sinclair shared her own message in the form of a heartfelt letter to her younger, pre-national team.
In a letter she shared on Instagram, the attacker wrote: “Dear Christine, you are 16 years old and things will change quickly.”
“Please don’t be too awkward,” she told herself. “Now you are a national team member; you are exactly where you belong. Believe in yourself.”
In the message, Sinclair recalled how “overwhelming” it was and told her teenage self that the goals she showed in her first tournament “will become your signature for the rest of your playing career”.
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“From now on, the game is going to change a lot,” she wrote, telling herself that “you’ll soon discover that things behind the scenes aren’t so rosy.”
“You will find out that the Canadian women’s national team played for $10 a day,” she continued. “You’ll hear that the prize money for the Women’s World Cup will increase, only the men’s prize money will increase even more, widening the pay gap. You will witness how young girls fall through the developmental cracks due to the lack of a legitimate path to the national team.
“This is the moment when you decide to fight back. While people will know you for your achievements on the field, you will be remembered for how you crossed the painted white lines. Creating capital is what you will be most proud of. You will stand up to your union to push through a landmark deal on equal pay for the national team. You’ll help announce that a domestic professional women’s soccer league is coming to Canada. You will inspire generations of young girls to kick a soccer ball for the first time with real dreams of playing professionally. And you better believe that we will continue to fight for what is right. For the equality of past, present and future generations.”
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Towards the end of her letter, Sinclair wrote: “I am writing to you 23 years, six World Cups, four Olympics, 327 caps and 190 international goals since it all started.”
“Your work ethic, your desire to be better, and your never-satisfied mentality are what set you apart,” she wrote. “Here I am preparing to tie the bow on an amazing international career that I have shared with so many amazing teammates, coaches, support staff, fans and of course family. We are not here without them. Here I am in the 90th minute of our journey.”
After concluding her heartfelt message, the forward hinted that while her international career is coming to an end, there may be another clash with her National Women’s Soccer League team, the Portland Thorns, in her future. “PS – Portland, how about another year?” she teased him.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education