The 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship is underway in Texas (the semifinals and finals will be played in California), and a match Wednesday made some international history. Veteran Canadian striker Christine Sinclair scored twice in Canada’s match against St. Kitts and Nevis (which Canada won 11-0), her 184th and 185th international goals. The first one tied her with famed former American striker Abby Wambach for the most goals ever scored in international soccer (men’s or women’s), while the second gave her sole possession of that mark. Here are those goals, with the first coming from a seventh-minute penalty and the second coming from open play in the 23rd minute:
Make that 184 goals for Christine Sinclair, tying Abby Wambach's all-time international scoring record! pic.twitter.com/jyYLwhJyGB
— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) January 29, 2020
Here it is. Christine Sinclair is the all-time International goalscoring record holder! #Sincy185 #CanWNT pic.twitter.com/L0iC9u942U
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) January 29, 2020
That’s quite the mark for Sinclair, and it has her at the top of a very impressive list:
Christine Sinclair has broken the record, scoring her 185th international goal to ensure a Canadian stands alone above every other player.
185 🇨🇦 Christine Sinclair
184 🇺🇸 Abby Wambach
158 🇺🇸 Mia Hamm
Men’s record:
109 🇮🇷 Ali Daei
99 🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo
84 🇭🇺 Ferenc Puskas— Kristian Jack (@KristianJack) January 29, 2020
The 36-year-old Sinclair made her debut for the Canadian senior team 20 years ago at the 2000 Algarve Cup, and she made an impact right away, leading that tournament with three goals. Since then, she’s led the Canadian team to heights the program had never seen, including a fourth-place finish at the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup and third-place finishes at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics, and she’s put up incredible totals along the way, scoring 10 or more international goals in nine different seasons (including one in 2002 where she only received 10 caps but scored 11 times).
Sinclair has also found success in the NCAA with the Portland Pilots (110 goals and 32 assists in 94 games) and in women’s professional soccer. At the professional level, she’s shone with FC Gold Pride and the Western New York Flash of WPS (26 goals across 45 combined games with those teams) and then the Portland Thorns of the NWSL (52 goals across 136 regular season and playoff appearances). And she received a lot of tributes after hitting this mark, including one from Wambach:
Christine: History is made. Your victory is our victory. We celebrate with you.
And to every girl coming up in the Pack with a dream to achieve that which doesn’t yet even exist: We believe in you. Your Pack is with you. And history awaits you.@sincy12 https://t.co/rNxjjpV7tZ pic.twitter.com/xkUjLtNXHn— Abby Wambach (@AbbyWambach) January 29, 2020
Canada Soccer also put out quite the montage of many of Sinclair’s international goals over the years:
#Sincy185 pic.twitter.com/p3tMkRh7Dz
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) January 29, 2020
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute to Sinclair as well:
She did it! Christine Sinclair is now international soccer’s all-time leading goal scorer. Congratulations, @sincy12 – you rock! #Sincy185 https://t.co/s7wveuocIf
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 30, 2020
As did many others:
Congratulations to Christine Sinclair @sincy12, who now holds the World Record for International Goals, Man or Woman.
Mia Hamm
Abby Wambach
Christine SinclairWhat a legacy of commitment, strength, athleticism, and perseverance. https://t.co/KQkI4Pu4QY
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) January 30, 2020
Christine Sinclair. 🐐🇨🇦
The greatest ever. Period. #Sincy185 pic.twitter.com/mWbotWgrKa
— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) January 29, 2020
Break a world record. Then inspire the next generation to beat it.
⠀@sincy12 nets number 185 – more international goals than any other footballer could dream of. #justdoit
⠀#christinesinclair #nikefootball #nikesoccer pic.twitter.com/t1dnyqfSmt— Nike Football (@nikefootball) January 29, 2020
Christine Sinclair is one of the greatest athletes and role models this country has ever produced.
— Sid Seixeiro (@Sid_Seixeiro) January 29, 2020
185 goals. The most ever.
And she’s never changed. Humble. Determined. A true leader.
Christine Sinclair. Remarkable.
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) January 29, 2020
Christine Sinclair is now the most prolific international goal scorer in the history of soccer
Last year, @chansler @alexanthony_83 @ExperienceMatt and I worked with @sincy12 on an essay
One final time, "Legacy" By Christine Sinclair @CanadaSoccerEN @TSN_Sports #BellLetsTalk pic.twitter.com/GzqEyeAn7u
— Matthew Scianitti (@TSNScianitti) January 29, 2020
Congrats to Sinclair on a remarkable accomplishment, and one that will be tough to top.
[Photo via @nikefootball]