Canada legend Christine Sinclair brings end to decorated national team career

In front of 48,112 fans, the largest crowd ever for a friendly match in her country, Canadian Women’s National Team striker, legend and women’s football trailblazer Christine Sinclair laced up her boots one final time in an international friendly against Australia.

Vancouver’s BC Place changed its name to Christine Sinclair Place on Tuesday evening to witness the final match of Sinclair’s storied career on the last international window of the year. Fittingly, Canada emerged victorious 1-0 on a header from MF Quinn in the 40’ after a corner kick, with Sinclair helping her country find the back of the net in her last game for her National Team.

The evolution of women’s football in the Concacaf region and across the world cannot be described without talking about Sinclair’s influence in the game. With 331 appearances for Canada, she holds the record of being the all-time top scorer, male or female, in international football with 190 goals to her name.

Sinclair also represented the Red and White at the FIFA Women’s World Cup six times, the latest coming this past summer at Australia/New Zealand 2023. Sinclair is also the member of an elite club of players who have scored in five Women’s World Cups.

Sinclair scored 10 goals in FIFA Women’s World Cups, 12 goals in the Olympics and 46 goals across all Concacaf competitions.

“Christine Sinclair is rightly considered a legend of global football and she deserves great credit and respect for the consistency she has shown year after year for the national team,” said Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani. “Her goal scoring record is second to none and she has delivered so many great moments on the field for Canada, in FIFA World Cups, Concacaf competitions and of course the Olympic Games,” added Montagliani.

“Beyond that, it is important to recognize the huge impact she has had on the game in Canada. At a time when the sport was still growing and needed a star, she stepped up and her passion for representing Canada, alongside countless brilliant performances, inspired so many Canadians to play and take an interest in the beautiful game. I wish her every success in the future,” concluded Montagliani.

Even as far back as the 2002 Concacaf W Championship, Sinclair was already holding her own with the top goal-scorers in the region.

She was a co-winner of the Golden Boot at the 2002 CWC with seven goals. That same year, Sinclair won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball at the 2002 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup after scoring 10 goals in the tournament.

Four years later at the 2006 CWC, she again was a co-winner of the Golden Boot with two goals, both of which came in the 4-0 victory over Jamaica in the semifinals.

As captain, Sinclair lifted the CWC trophy with Canada in 2010, scoring the winning goal via penalty kick that gave her side a 1-0 win over Mexico in the Final.

At the 2012 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in her native Canada, Sinclair once again flexed her scoring muscles, as she won the Golden Boot with nine goals to help Canada qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. 

With her three goals in the 2020 CWOQ, Sinclair became the top-scorer in CWOQ history with 21 goals and helped Canada reach the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Sinclair led Canada to two Bronze Olympic medals (London 2012, Rio 2016), before helping her country reach the top of the podium at Tokyo 2020, where Canada proclaimed themselves Gold Medalists for the first time in women’s football.

As part of their journey to defend their Olympic title, Sinclair was part of the squad that qualified for Paris 2024 after finishing as runners-up at the Concacaf W Championship in 2022, while also qualifying for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, the inaugural edition of the tournament.

Sinclair has become a symbol of excellence and longevity for women’s football, with her accomplishments widely praised across the Concacaf region and beyond.

As she leaves the game better than when she first started playing, Concacaf and the world recognizes how she set the bar for excellence in Canadian football and women’s sports, becoming one of the most important athletes of all-time, setting an example for resilience and sportsmanship in her 23 years as member of her National Team.

VIDEO: The Greatest Goal Scorer in the World is Canadian | Congratulations Christine Sinclair