Legendary United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) midfielder Carli Lloyd announced her retirement from professional soccer on Monday. Lloyd won’t immediately hang up her cleats, however, planning to play a number of national and club games before doing so.
Lloyd will receive a farewell tour with USWNT, being set to play in four friendlies in September and October. She will then play out the 2021 season of NWSL with NJ/NY Gotham FC before riding off into the sunset.
“Every single day I stepped out onto the field, I played as if it was my last game,” said Lloyd in a statement. “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.”
Carli Lloyd is considered one of the best players in the history of the U.S. women’s national team. She won two World Cups in national jersey and was part of the USWNT teams that won two Olympic gold medals. The 39-year-old star played a total of 312 international games, placing her at No. 2 on the all-time list, and scored 128 goals, which rank fourth-most in USWNT history.
Lloyd started her club career by playing in several W-League clubs before joining NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC (then known as Sky Blue FC). She also played with the Houston Dash and spent time on loan with Manchester City.
