Canadian Christine Sinclair, one of the founding players of the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), announced Friday that she is retiring.
Sinclair will finish the season with the Thorns. The team plans to honor him before the final home game of the season on Nov. 1 .
“Portland, I can never thank you enough,” she wrote on Instagram. “As I wrap up my final run, I just want to say what a privilege it has been to represent this unique, beautiful, and passionate city.”
Sinclair, 41, retired from the Canadian national team last year. She finished her international career as the all-time leading scorer for both women and men with 190 goals.
“The best of all time,” Canada Soccer said on social media platform X. “Congratulations on a fantastic club career. You inspired a generation and we are forever grateful.”
Sinclair is one of only three active NWSL players to have played for the same team since the league’s inception in 2013.
She helped the Thorns win the inaugural NWSL championship, before adding titles in 2017 and 2022. The Canadian scored the Thorns’ first-ever goal in a match against FC Kansas City on April 13, 2013.
“The Thorns are proud to honour the immense career of Christine Sinclair,” the club said in a statement. “We thank her for her long-term commitment to our team and are fortunate to have been able to witness her accomplishments.”
In 11 seasons, Sinclair scored 64 goals with the Thorns, a team record and third all-time in league history.
With the Canadian national team, Sinclair won a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She also won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Games.
She is also one of only five players to have appeared in six Women’s World Cups and is one of only three players to have scored in five of them. Sinclair has never managed to lift the World Cup title trophy, however.
Vancouver Rise FC of the newly formed Northern Super League have hinted that Sinclair could play a role at the club, posting a photo of her with the caption: “Something big is coming soon.”
“I still have the passion of that four-year-old girl growing up in Burnaby, BC, but as I hang up my cleats, I am committed to channeling it in a new way. To continue to grow the game I love while inspiring the next generation,” Sinclair wrote.
The Thorns are scheduled to face the Vancouver Whitecaps Women’s Elite Team in a Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup match on Oct. 15 at BC Place in Vancouver.
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