(REUTERS) – Carli Lloyd, one of the greatest women’s soccer players to ever grace the game, has announced her retirement, U.S. Soccer said on Monday.
The 39-year-old Lloyd, who was twice named the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, became the second-most capped player in world soccer history (312) during a career that includes two Women’s World Cups and two Olympic gold medals. “When I first started out with the national team in 2005, my two main goals were to be the most complete soccer player I could be and to help the team win championships,” said Lloyd. “Every single day I stepped out onto the field, I played as if it was my last game. I never wanted to take anything for granted, especially knowing how hard it is to get to the top, but even harder to stay at the top for so long.”
U.S. Soccer will soon announce four friendly matches for the women’s national team – two in September and two in October – which will serve as Lloyd’s final games in a U.S. shirt. Lloyd will also play the remainder of the National Women’s Soccer League 2021 season with NJ/NY Gotham FC before calling time on her professional club career, which has spanned 12 years and six teams.