Canadian Christine Sinclair, one of the founding players of the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), announced Friday that she was retiring.
Sinclair will finish the season with the Thorns. The team plans to honor him before the final home game of the season on June 1er november.
“Portland, I can never thank you enough,” she wrote on the social network Instagram. As I finish my final ride, I just want to say what a privilege it has been to represent this unique, beautiful and passionate city. »
Aged 41, Sinclair retired from the Canadian national team last year. She finished her international career at the top of history, both for women and men, with 190 goals.
“The best ever,” said Canada Soccer on social network X. “Congratulations on a fantastic club career. You inspired a generation and we are forever grateful. »
Sinclair is one of only three active NWSL players to have worn the colors of the same team since the league’s launch in 2013.
She helped the Thorns win the first NWSL championship, before adding titles in 2017 and 2022. The Canadian scored the first-ever goal in Thorns history, in a match against FC Kansas City, April 13, 2013.
“The Thorns are proud to honor the immense career of Christine Sinclair,” the club said in a press release. We thank her for her long-term commitment to our team and we are fortunate to have been able to witness her prowess. »
In 11 seasons, Sinclair scored 64 goals with the Thorns, which is a team record, and ranks third in league history.
With the Canadian national team, Sinclair won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She also won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Games.
She is also one of five players to have appeared in six Women’s Soccer World Cups and is one of three players to have scored in five of them. Sinclair, however, never managed to lift the trophy for the World Cup champion team.
Newly formed Northern Super League side Vancouver FC’s Rise have hinted that Sinclair could play a role at the club. He posted a photo of her with the caption: “Something big is coming soon.”
“I still have the passion of that four-year-old girl growing up in Burnaby, British Columbia, but as I hang up my cleats, I commit to channeling it in a new way. To continue to grow the sport I love while inspiring the next generation,” Sinclair wrote.
The Thorns are scheduled to face the elite Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team in a Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup match on October 15 at BC Place in Vancouver.
With contribution from The Canadian Press