"You're gonna make me cry": Christine Sinclair emotional after likely final World Cup match
Christine Sinclair has likely played in her last World Cup.
Canada’s captain and the all-time international goals leader was emotional following her country’s quick exit from the Women’s World Cup. A 4-0 loss to Australia in their final match of the group stage knocked Canada out of the tournament, which in all likelihood is the 40-year-old’s last World Cup as a player.
After the match, Sinclair shared words of support for her disappointed teammates as she fought back tears of her own.
“I just love them all. You’re gonna make me cry. We go through everything together,” Sinclair told TSN’s Claire Hanna. “Winning and losing, it’s all part of the game. It’s why we love this sport.”
Sinclair also took a souvenir from the pitch, as she was spotted collecting blades of grass from the Melbourne field after the final whistle.
“It’s the end of the World Cup and I’m probably not going to play in another one,” Sinclair admitted. “I’m leaving the pitch one last time in a World Cup.”
Christine Sinclair took some blades of grass before leaving the pitch. When I asked her why, the Captain said:
“It’s the end of the World Cup & I’m probably not going to play in another one. I’m leaving the pitch one last time in a World Cup.” #CanWNT #Can #FifaWWC
— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) July 31, 2023
The Burnaby, BC native, who helped her country win Olympic gold in Tokyo two years ago, played 45 minutes in the deciding match before she was subbed off at halftime.
Sinclair emphasized that the team’s bond continues to remain strong in both victory and defeat.
“We’ve always said that we’re a family, and we do it together. Whether we win an Olympic gold medal or lose in the group stage of a World Cup, we do it together.”
After having a penalty saved against Nigeria in Canada’s opening match of the tournament, Sinclair failed to become the first player to score in six World Cups. But despite the disappointments that may have come with this year’s international performance, Sinclair is widely considered to be one of the greatest female soccer players of all time.
The striker’s illustrious stats include: 190 goals (an all-time record), an Olympic gold medal, a CONCACAF championship, and two Olympic bronze medals.
“I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do for this country,” she added. “Thinking back to when I first joined the national team to where Canada is now (…) [I’m] just proud to be a part of the evolution of the game.”
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