Christine Sinclair bid an emotional farewell to international soccer on Tuesday with a final match that ended a remarkable run in which she led the Canadian women’s national team from obscurity to Olympic champions.
The result of the friendly match, a 1-0 win over Australia in Sinclair’s home province of British Columbia, didn’t matter because the night was about celebrating Canada’s most successful soccer player of all time.
“Thank you for inspiring us all,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on social media. “Your impact on the game and on sports in Canada is something we will celebrate for some time.”
The world’s all-time leading scorer in international matches often keeps a low profile and puts the team’s achievements above her many personal achievements.
But on this night filled with tributes in Vancouver, the 40-year-old forward couldn’t avoid taking center stage.
Dozens of members of Canada’s 2012 Olympic bronze team, where Sinclair won the Golden Boot, formed a guard of honor to welcome her onto the field before the scoreboard showed a tribute video that had her wiping away tears.
“We will miss all of you in the red and white, but as Canadians we thank you for what you have done. You are truly a national treasure,” Catriona Le May-Doan, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in speed skating, said during the pre-match celebrations. .
“Just joy”
Unlike recent matches in which she came off the bench, Sinclair started the match in front of nearly 48,000 fans inside the stadium renamed in her honor on the night.
Sinclair, who announced her retirement in October, had a hand in the only goal of the match, when she passed Jesse Fleming’s corner kick to Kadisha Buchanan, whose shot rebounded off the crossbar before Quinn slotted home the rebound in the 40th minute.
Shortly after half-time, Fleming got the ball back for Sinclair but Australian goalkeeper Tegan Mika came off her line to smother her.
Sinclair was substituted in the 58th minute and exchanged hugs with her teammates on the pitch before exiting to a standing ovation while greeting the adoring crowd by waving and clapping her hands above her head.
It marked the end of one of the most storied careers of any Canadian athlete.
“Honestly, just joy,” Sinclair said when asked what comes to mind when she looks back on that night.
“I did everything I could in this national team. I am 100% satisfied and satisfied. I came out victorious in front of my friends, in front of my family. Honestly, it was a perfect night.”
Sinclair was 16 years old when she made her international debut. Her international career includes a record 190 goals in 331 games for Canada, an Olympic gold medal in 2021 and six World Cup appearances.
She broke American striker Abby Wambach’s all-time scoring record of 184 goals in the 2020 Olympic qualifying match against St. Kitts and Nevis. Canada went on to capture its first Olympic title in Tokyo.
She received the FIFA Special Award for Outstanding Career Achievement in 2021, has two Olympic bronze medals from 2012 and 2016, and is also a 14-time Canadian Player of the Year.
The normally reserved Sinclair has grown into a vocal leader in the Canadian team’s recent battle for equal pay and treatment.
Despite her retirement from international football, Sinclair still plans to play for the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League next season.
