Carli Lloyd, one of the best female football players of all time, has announced her retirement, according to U.S. Soccer. During a career that included two Women’s World Cups and two Olympic gold medals, Lloyd, who was twice voted FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, became the second-most capped player in world football history (312).
Lloyd has 128 international goals to her credit, making her the fourth-highest goalscorer in the country’s history, and 64 assists to her credit.
According to former USA captain Lloyd, when she first joined the national team in 2005, her two main goals were to be the most complete soccer player she could be and to help the team win titles.
Every day, she walked out onto the field and played as if it were her final game. She never wanted to take anything for granted, especially knowing how difficult it is to reach the top, and even more difficult to stay there for an extended period of time.
VlatkoAndonovski, the coach of the USA Women’s National Team, described her career as “special,” and added that her accomplishment on the field is something that all present and future National Team players should strive towards.
She was recognized as a ‘clutch player’ for her ability to score crucial goals, scoring in each of her three Olympic gold matches, and became only the second footballer, after Geoff Hurst, to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final against Japan in 2015.
The second goal in her 17-minute treble came from midfield, and it was one of the most memorable goals in women’s football history. It made it 4-0 in a 5-2 victory for the United States, and it helped her win the Golden Ball award for the tournament’s best player.
She also won gold medal matches in Beijing and London in 2008 and 2012, respectively, and repeated the feat in Tokyo this summer in the bronze medal match against Australia.
She also plays the rest of the National Women’s Soccer League’s 2021 season with NJ/NY Gotham FC before calling it a day on her 12-year professional club career with six teams. According to US Soccer, Lloyd’s final games in a US uniform will be four friendly matches for the women’s national team, two in September and two in October.
