Last night Christine Sinclair, the all-time leading goalscorer in international football, played her final minutes on the global stage. With more than 330 appearances for Canada, the 40-year-old stands second in the list of most-capped female players behind the US’s Kristine Lilly. She has featured in six different World Cups, won two bronze Olympic medals and a heroic gold from the most recent edition in Tokyo. The Canadian has had an unparalleled international career and has promised to give one more year of club football with her beloved Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Super League (NWSL), for a 12th season.
Sinclair single-handedly put Canadian football on the map and her name is synonymous with the nation. The legacy she leaves behind is enormous, having touched every aspect of sport in North America. Current players praise her leadership and humility, the younger generation calls her a role model, head coaches say they become her students and her trophy cabinet is filled with silverware from every professional year she has played.
