
<p>Christine Sinclair, the world’s most prolific international goalscorer and a beloved sporting icon in Canada has announced her international retirement.</p>



<p>This decision marks the culmination of an extraordinary 24-year international career. During the past two decades, she has played a pivotal role in transforming the sport in her nation.</p>



<p>The long-time <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/canada-national-team-tv-schedule/">Canucks</a> captain has shared her intention to conclude her career with the national team later this year. She will not be participating in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/olympics-soccer-schedule-and-tv-guide/">2024 Olympics</a>. This means Canada will be without her as they defend the Olympic gold medal they earned at the Tokyo Games.</p>



<h2>What did Christine Sinclair say about Canada retirement?</h2>



<p>In a touching and heartfelt letter that she addressed to her 16-year-old self, Christine Sinclair’s words were published in the Canadian newspaper <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/article-christine-sinclair-retirement-letter-to-younger-self/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Globe and Mail</a>.</p>



<p>“I’m writing to you 23 years, six World Cups, four Olympic Games, 327 caps and 190 international goals after it all began.</p>



<p>“Reading this, ‘What more could there be?’ you’ll ask. If you become the most prolific goal scorer of all-time and win an Olympic gold medal, then things must go smoothly, right? Well, pretty soon you’ll discover things aren’t so rosy behind the scenes,” Sinclair writes.</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a career for Christine Sinclair 👏🇨🇦 <a href="https://t.co/rInyQomenP">pic.twitter.com/rInyQomenP</a></p>— TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1715514372976435666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>“You’ll learn Canadian women’s national team players were playing for $10 a day. You will hear the prize money for the Women’s World Cup is going to increase, only for the men’s prize money to increase by more, widening the pay gap. You’ll witness young girls slip though the developmental cracks because of the lack of a legitimate pathway to the national team.</p>



<p>“You will stand up to your federation to push forward on a landmark equal pay agreement for the national team. You’ll help announce that a domestic professional women’s football league is coming to Canada. You will inspire generations of young girls to kick a soccer ball for the first time with real dreams of playing professionally. And you better believe we will continue to fight for what’s right. For equality for past, present and future generations.”</p>



<p>“Here I am preparing to tie the bow on an unbelievable international career shared with so many incredible teammates, coaches, support staff, fans and of course family. We are not here without them. Here I am in the 90th minute of our journey.”</p>



<h2>What does this mean for her club career?</h2>



<p>While retiring from international play, Sinclair has expressed her intention to continue her professional career. Sinclair was a forward for the Portland Thorns in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-soccer-tv-schedule/">National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)</a> since 2013. The superstar plans to extend her career in the NWSL for the upcoming season.</p>



<p>The 40-year-old concluded her letter with a playful and hopeful note, saying, “P.S. – Portland, how about one more year?”</p>



<p>The forward’s farewell matches will be held in Canada before the end of the year. Although no official announcements have been made, it’s expected that a substantial ceremony will be organized, as per <a href="https://www.burnabynow.com/local-news/burnaby-soccer-icon-christine-sinclair-retiring-from-canadian-national-team-7711968" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Burnaby Now</a>.</p>



<p>With only two international windows remaining on the 2023 FIFA calendar, fans will have few opportunities to see Sinclair again. Bev Priestman’s players will play against Brazil on October 28, and again three days later.</p>



<p>Photo credit: IMAGO &amp; ZUMA Wire</p>


Record holder Christine Sinclair makes emotional Canada choice

Christine Sinclair, an influential player for Canada, has made a challenging decision regarding her international career

Record holder Christine Sinclair makes emotional Canada choice -


<p>The Canada women’s national team is set to start their <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-world-cup-tv-schedule/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2023 Women’s World Cup</a> Thursday night in Australia. Players on the team will be looking forward to getting back to the pitch after dealing with off-field issues. Team members have been in a dispute with their federation over pay and working conditions for months now. However, the upcoming match will give the team a chance to focus on the competition.</p>



<h5>Captain says agreement edging closer</h5>



<p>“We all have a lot on our plates,” Canada captain Christine Sinclair <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38039776/nigeria-canada-put-aside-pay-disputes-women-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a> reporters on Thursday. “I have to give a lot of credit to&nbsp;Janine Beckie, who is unfortunately not here with us due to injury but who has taken on a massive role in dealing with our federation and negotiations so that we as players here at the World Cup, in these weeks leading into the tournament, we haven’t had to do anything.”</p>



<p>Although a deal between the players and their federation did not get done before the World Cup, Sinclair declared that an agreement was close between the two sides. The team’s record goalscorer also acknowledged that she would not be discussing the negotiations during the tournament.</p>



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Canada&apos;s women’s World Cup campaign begins tonight. <br><br>Their prep included fighting for basic athletic essentials and speaking in front of parliamentary&nbsp;committees due to lack of funding. <br><br>Their federation does not support them. This is an extraordinary group of athletes. <a href="https://t.co/JGF0fFUm7t">pic.twitter.com/JGF0fFUm7t</a></p>— Sid Seixeiro (@Sid_Seixeiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sid_Seixeiro/status/1682032094401413120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2>Canada not alone at World Cup in dealing with federation issues</h2>



<p>Canada faces Nigeria in their opening match of the competition. The African team has endured a similar situation with their federation as well. While Sinclair did not want to delve too deep into their talks with Canadian officials, she did offer her support for Canada’s upcoming opponents.</p>



<p>“The world of women’s football is very small,” Sinclair <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38039776/nigeria-canada-put-aside-pay-disputes-women-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">continued</a>. “We all support each other. I feel like each women’s team has to face their battles one at a time. This past year we’ve been facing ours and Nigeria [is] now with their federation. We fully support them. Every single player in this tournament deserves the world – deserves equal treatment from their federations.”</p>



<p>Canada is currently the highest-ranked team in Group B of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The CONCACAF team <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/women?dateId=ranking_20230609">ranks seventh</a>, while Nigeria sits 40th. The two sides are up against hosts Australia and the 22nd-ranked Republic of Ireland.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / AAP</em></p>


The Canada women's national team starts its World Cup run on Thursday despite issues with their federation over equal pay and conditions.

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Christine Sinclair"

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