Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair hinted at her retirement from international play on Thursday.
After Team Canada made the news official on Friday morning, the 40-year-old shared an Instagram post in the form of a letter addressed to her younger self.
In it, the longtime captain of the Women’s National Team reminds herself to enjoy the great moments that lie ahead, alluding to her appearances in six World Cups and four Olympic Games.
“Dear Christine, you’re 16 years old and things are about to change, quickly,” the letter begins. “I’m writing to you 23 years, six World Cups, four Olympic Games, 327 caps, and 190 international goals later.”
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Sinclair also took the opportunity to address her role in the fight for equal pay multiple times throughout the written statement, alluding to the open letter she and her teammates sent Canada Soccer “to push forward on a landmark equal pay agreement for the national team.”
“Reading this, ‘what more could there be?’ you’ll ask. If I will become the most prolific goal scorer of all time and win an Olympic gold medal, then things must have gone smoothly, right?” she says to herself. “Well, pretty soon you’ll discover things aren’t so rosy behind the scenes.”
According to Sinclair, there was a point where she and her Canadian teammates were only being paid $10 a day.
“You’ll learn Canadian Women’s National Team members were playing for $10 a day,” she reveals. “You’ll 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.”
“Creating equity is what you’ll be most proud of,” she adds.
While she is hanging up the cleats on the national level, Sinclair, who holds the all-time international goalscoring record with 190 goals, will keep playing for the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League.
She is expected to suit up in Canada’s final international friendlies of the year, most of which will be played on home soil.
Fans will get the chance to bid the Burnaby-born legend farewell when Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team plays Brazil in a two-match home series with both a date in Montreal at Stade Saputo on October 28, and a match in Halifax on October 31.
According to CBC, Canada Soccer is expected to announce two home more games for the last FIFA international window of the year, which runs from November 27 to December 6.
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