Canadian striker Christine Sinclair, the top scorer in soccer history with 190 goals, announced her retirement from international football on Friday at the age of 40, after a career that lasted 24 years and played 327 international matches.
In a letter published on Friday in the daily newspaper The Globe and Mail, the player suggested that she could continue her career with the Portland Thorns club for another season.
The striker participated in six World Cups and four Olympic Games. She was part of the gold medal-winning selection for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
With 190 goals, Christine Sinclair holds the world record for goals scored by the women’s and men’s national teams combined, and is also one of the most goals scored in football history (327). Among men, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo scored 127 goals and participated in 203 matches.
Cinque joined the national team in 2000, in the Algarve Cup, where she scored her first international goal.
On Thursday evening, Canada’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics suggested his impending retirement, posting a video on Instagram showing a shoe tied to a goal.
However, Canada’s next two matches against Brazil scheduled for Oct. 28 and 31 will be played in Montreal and Halifax, with tickets selling out in just 20 minutes for the 6,500-seat stadium.
