Canadian football legend Christine Sinclair announces international retirement

By Le Figaro with AFP

Published 22 minutes ago, Updated now

Christine Sinclair. Scott Barbour / Zuma / Panoramic

The 40-year-old striker is retiring from Canada’s selection, with a historic record of 190 goals in 327 matches.

End clap for a legend of women’s football. Canadian striker Christine Sinclair, top scorer in the history of football with 190 goals, announced her international retirement on Friday at the age of 40, after a 24-year career and 327 caps.

In a letter published Friday in the daily Globe and Mailthe player however suggests that she could continue her club career, with the Portland Thorns, for one more season. “You are exactly where you belong, where you should be”writes Christine Sinclair to the teenager she was in this emotional text, looking back on her sporting achievements.

The striker has participated in six World Cups and four Olympic Games. She was part of the gold medal winning selection at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

With 190 goals, Christine Sinclair holds the world record for goals scored in the national team, women and men combined, and is one of the most capped goals in the history of football (327). Among men, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 127 goals and been capped 203 times.

The president of the Canadian Federation, Charmaine Brooks, welcomed in a press release the“legacy” of Sainclair who “will live on in the hearts and ambitions of a very large number of young athletes across Canada and around the world.”

A committed player

The captain, originally from Burnaby, near Vancouver (British Columbia, west), also mentions in her letter the aspects “not so pink” professional football.

The salary gap between professional female and male players as well as the lack of supervision of young players are among the issues that she has defended, she recalls. After going on strike at the start of the year, the Canadian players finally obtained a historic agreement in March establishing parity of remuneration between the two selections. “Increasing equity is what will make you most proud”she says, with hindsight, to the young 16-year-old player that she was.

“Sinc” joined the national team in 2000, at the Algarve Cup tournament, where she scored her first international goal.

On Thursday evening, Canada’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics suggested imminent retirement, posting a video on Instagram showing cleats attached to a goal.

However, she will play Canada’s next two matches against Brazil scheduled for October 28 and 31 in Montreal and Halifax, where tickets sold out in just 20 minutes for a 6,500-seat stadium.

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