By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer
After 23 years with the Canadian national team, Christine Sinclair has announced her retirement from international play at the end of 2023. Following a cryptic video posted to her Instagram featuring a pair of cleats hanging on the crossbar of a soccer net, Sinclair published a letter of advice to her younger self through The Globe and Mail one day later. This comes after Canada’s early exit in the group stage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup this past summer, despite entering the tournament as reigning Olympic champions.
At 40 years old, Sinclair has played in six FIFA Women’s World Cups from 2003 until 2023 and has participated in four Olympic soccer tournaments from 2008 until 2021. She got her start in international play at the 2000 Algarve Cup when she was just 16 years old. Sinclair is leaving international competition as the world’s all-time leader in goals amongst any player with 190 goals.
During her illustrious career, Sinclair has scored in five of the six World Cup tournaments she has appeared in, achieving this record alongside two other football legends, Brazil’s Marta Vieira da Silva and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Sinclair has appeared in over 300 games for the Canadian national team and has captained the team since 2006.
While serving as captain, Sinclair led the Canadian team to bronze medals at both the 2012 London Summer Olympics and the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, as well as the team’s first gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Sinclair has also been one of the leaders in the Canadian women’s team fight for equal pay and treatment. She captained the team in protest during the 2023 SheBelieves Cup and advocated for the team’s ongoing pay disputes with Canada Soccer ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Along with playing for Canada since the age of 16, Sinclair spent her college career playing for the University of Portland, a few hours and a border away from her hometown of Burnaby, BC. She finished her college playing career in 2006, setting an NCAA Division I record of 39 goals during the season, and winning the Honda-Broderick Cup — an award for the best college woman athlete of the year.
Following her college career, Sinclair played for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC women’s team from 2006 until 2008, participating in the now-defunct American semi-professional women’s league. Once the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league was established in 2008, Sinclair was drafted by FC Gold Pride, winning the WPS championship in 2010, though the team was subsequently disbanded after they could not meet league financial requirements. Sinclair then signed with the Western New York Flash, winning the 2011 WPS championship and being named MVP of the tournament.
The WPS folded in 2012 with the rise of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) coming soon after in 2013. Sinclair joined the Portland Thorns during the inaugural NWSL season in 2013 and has remained as team captain ever since. She has captained the Thorns to three NWSL Championship wins in 2013, 2017, and 2022. At the end of her open letter announcing her retirement from international play, Sinclair added “P.S. – Portland, how about one more year?” to her Instagram.
Christine Sinclair will finish her remarkable international career on December 5, 2023, at her hometown stadium of BC Place.
