Record scorer Sinclair to retire in November

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Christine Sinclair has the record for most regular-season goals scored by a Thorns player with 64, the third-highest total in NWSL history

Canadian great Christine Sinclair, the all-time top scorer in international football, will retire in November at the end of the 2024 National Women's Soccer League season.

The 41-year-old forward, who scored 190 goals in 331 international appearances, stepped away from national team duty last December but had continued to play for her club side Portland Thorns.

She is in her 12th campaign with the Thorns, who plan to honour her when they conclude their regular season on 1 November.

"Portland, thank you will never be enough. Soccer has been my passion since I was four years old and it has taken me on a journey I could never have imagined," Sinclair wrote on Instagram.

"As I finish out this last ride, I want to say what a privilege it has been to represent this unique, beautiful, and passionate city that I will always call home."

Sinclair helped the Thorns win the inaugural NWSL championship in 2013 before adding additional titles in 2017 and 2022.

With Canada, she has played at six World Cups and won an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games.

Sinclair is also one of only two players to score at five Women's World Cups, alongside Brazil's Marta.