Legend Status: Christine Sinclair’s Unmatched Career in Portland and Beyond
The NWSL keeps improving as time passes, but with this improvement comes change. This change comes in different forms, and one of them, unfortunately, is the retirement of some players who started it all. One player that we are saying goodbye to is Portland Thorns’ captain and legend, Christine Sinclair. The former player and permanent star of the Canada national team recently announced her retirement. She is leaving the game as a legend with a legacy that will be remembered for generations.
Sinclair will keep playing until the end of the 2024 NWSL season before she hangs up her boots; her final match will be November 1. This is the second goodbye Sinclair’s fans had to say. In December 2023, the Canada national team legend retired from international play. This end, however, doesn’t mean that the 41-year-old player’s career will be forgotten. The details of her career and many moments will be cherished forever.
How Did Christine Sinclair’s Legacy Start?
Since she was four years old, Sinclair’s passion for the game was growing. Her love for Portland is a fact that no one can deny, especially since she played for the University of Portland. But playing isn’t enough for Sinclair. She also wants to win.
She did exactly that as she won the NCAA National Championship twice. Sinclair scored 110 goals in 94 appearances during college. The numbers aren’t the only thing proving how the forward was a legend in the making. She also won the MAC Hermann Trophy twice–the highest honor in collegiate soccer.
While most people associate Sinclair’s legacy with the Portland Thorns, she played for other teams before joining the NWSL. When Sinclair was with the Vancouver Whitecaps, the team won the 2006 USL W-League Championship. She then won the 2010 WPS Championship with FC Gold Pride and later the 2011 WPS Championship with Western New York Flash. While these moments are all part of Sinclair’s journey toward becoming a legend, the most spectacular part is her time with the Portland Thorns and Canada.
Christine Sinclair is a Thorns Legend
Sinclair’s love for winning–and winning with Portland–continued when she joined the Thorns in the NWSL’s inaugural season. When asked about the top three cities she would like to play for during the founding of the NWSL, Sinclair repeated Portland’s name three times. The new-born league was quickly introduced to Sinclair, a legend in the making even 11 years ago. Now, 11 years later, she is the only Portland Thorns player to be with the team through its entire history, which is 12 seasons.
She scored in the inaugural NWSL match and won the first-ever NWSL Championship with the Thorns. But that wasn’t enough for Sinclair. She would win the title again in 2017 and 2022 with the Thorns. In 2016, Sinclair won her first NWSL Shield with Portland Thorns. They won it again in 2021, along with the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup. They also won the 2020 Fall Series. Throughout all NWSL competitions, Sinclair scored around 79 goals. With 64 regular-season goals, Sinclair holds Portland’s club record, and she is also the third all-time in the league. Now, as Sinclair prepares to retire, she is leaving the game as a legend and the Thorns’ all-time leading goal scorer.
Why Christine Sinclair is Canada’s Legend
Some players succeed with their club and not with the national team, some have the opposite happen, and some find success on both club and international levels. With Sinclair, she didn’t just find success on both levels, but she became a legend in both. The first time Sinclair received a call to the national team, she was just 16 years old.
In 331 international appearances, Sinclair scored 190 goals. She left the national team as the all-time leading scorer in international soccer for both men and women. She won gold with Canada at the Tokyo Olympics. Sinclair was also part of Canada’s team that won the Olympic Bronze medal in 2012 and 2016. The bottom line is that no player like Sinclair left an impact in her 23 years with the national team.
More Broken Records
Since Sinclair has been part of the NWSL from its start, she has had enough time to break a long list of records. Her loyalty to the Thorns earned her many records, including being one of only three players in NWSL’s history to play all 12 seasons with the same club. Not to mention that she is one of only two players to score in every single NWSL competition. The competitions are the regular season, playoffs, Challenge Cup, the 2020 Fall Series, and Summer Cup.
Sinclair’s record-breaking habit also existed in her international career. In 2012, Sinclair was awarded the Northern Star as Canada’s athlete of the year. She also twice won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award for Canadian Female Athlete of the Year. The first time was in 2012, and the second was in 2020. The awards didn’t stop there, as Sinclair has won Canada Soccer’s Female Player of the Year 14 times. In December 2019, Sinclair was named the Canada Soccer Player of the Decade.
Making a Change Off The Pitch
Christine Sinclair has been a role model for players, young girls, and anyone who fell in love with women’s soccer. Off the pitch, Sinclair always tried to stand on the right side of history. When Canada’s women’s national team faced injustice by their federation because they wanted equal pay, Sinclair was vocal about their demands. Speaking with the Canadian Press before the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Sinclair talked about the pay dispute taking place back then. “If we want to remain relevant, yes, some things are going to have to change,” she said regarding how lack of support would leave Canada behind.
In a letter published by The Globe and Mail and addressed to her 16-year-old self, Sinclair wrote about how young girls “slip through the developmental cracks.” The emotional letter continues with Sinclair’s words to her younger self, “And you better believe we will continue to fight for what’s right. For equality for past, present and future generations. I’m writing to you 23 years, six World Cups, four Olympic Games, 327 caps and 190 international goals after it all began.” Indeed, she made a change and will keep helping generations.
A Hall of Fame-Worthy Career
As women’s soccer continues to grow, players such as Sinclair are part of why it reached its current position. For years, Sinclair has been one of many players calling for people to support women’s soccer. She has been an inspiration and a driving force that contributed to the game’s growth. Everyone can recognize that, and this is why many came together in a video to say their thanks.
Sinclair received appreciation many times throughout her career. In 2013, she was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, but more is to come. A few weeks ago, The BC Sports Hall of Fame announced that Sinclair will be part of its 2025 class of inductees. The two achievements have over ten years between them, but whether now or then, Sinclair has been one of the shining names in the world of women’s soccer. She will remain as one of the game’s stars.
Christine Sinclair Will Always Be A Legend
There are not enough words to describe Christine Sinclair. She is a legend that fans will remember for many years, but this isn’t the end. Recently, Sinclair joined the Vancouver Rise FC ownership group.
In her retirement statement posted on her Instagram account, Sinclair wrote, “I still have the same passion as that young 4-year-old growing up in Burnaby, BC, but as I hang up my playing boots, I vow to channel it in a new way. To continue growing the game I love, while inspiring the next generation.” It hurt once to see her retire from international soccer. It’s even more emotional to see her hanging up her boots. The only relief is that Christine Sinclair will forever remain a legend. It’s time to witness how much of a force she can be off the pitch, too.
Featured image via Getty Images
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