Carli Lloyd’s historic career came to a close on Sunday in Gotham FC’s 1-0 loss to the Chicago Stars in the quarterfinals. Women’s soccer will never have another like her.
“We played really well today, we really turned this club around, and I’m very excited to see the future of this club,” she said after the match. “I’m proud, you know, and I’m sad as well because this is it.” The 39-year-old’s list of accomplishments is endless, but some of the highlights include:
Four-time Olympian
Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012
World Cup championships in 2015 and 2019
Leading all-time scorer for Team USA (Olympics, 10 goals)
Scoring the third-most goals for Team USA (World Cup, 10 goals)
Playing the second-most games ever for Team USA (316)
Scoring the third-most goals for Team USA ever (134)
And the game she’ll always be remembered for: the World Cup Final in 2015 where she notched a hat trick in the first 16 minutes en route to crushing Japan.
Before her final match, Lloyd passed her No. 10 jersey on to teammate Lindsey Horan, and in her final game with the USWNT, she wore a jersey with her husband’s last name, Hollins, on the back.
”It’s been emotional. But there’s just a sense of peace and contentment that I feel – it’s just joy and happiness,” Lloyd said then, according to ESPN. “It’s been an amazing journey, and I gave it all I had, and now I can walk away into the next chapter.”