After years of dominance with the United States Women’s National Soccer team, forward Abby Wambach announces retirement from soccer following the USWNT’s World Cup celebration at the White House today.
As she leaves the game, Wambach holds the record as the leading scorer — for both men and women — in international soccer, with 184 goals in 252 international appearances.
Her USWNT swansong will be the final four games of the team’s 10-game victory tour, with her final match coming on Dec. 16 against China in New Orleans.
As Wambach announces retirement, it is worth noting that her accomplishments transcend mere statistical contributions, though of course, they have been impressive. She has been the unquestioned leader of the women’s team for over a decade, and has been a significant factor in their greatest accomplishments: two Olympic gold medals (2004 Games in Athens and the 2012 Games in London) in addition to the 2015 Women’s World Cup title.
Furthermore, she has several individual accolades to boot, most notably becoming the second American to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2012.
Wambach on the cover of the July 20, 2015 issue of Sports Illustrated. Photo: @si_soccer | Twitter
“After much deliberation and talking with my friends, family, teammates and our coaching staff, I’ve decided to finally bring my soccer career to an end,” Wambach said in a statement. “While we still have more work to do for women’s soccer, after bringing the World Cup back to the United States this summer, I’m feeling extremely optimistic about the future of our sport. It’s been an amazing, wonderful ride and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter of my life brings.”
But beyond her on the field contributions, she has been determined to push for equal rights with women’s soccer. This included being a large vocal leader in protest of the 2015 Women’s World Cup on artificial turf, which is not only considered inferior to regular grass, but also a surface that is more susceptible to injury.
"What she has done for women's soccer and women's sports overall with her amazing talents on the field and her personality off it has been inspiring to watch," U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. "I am just extremely happy that she could end her career with that elusive World Cup title and go out on top, right where she deserves to be."
