By Canadian Press

Goals, goals, goals: A timeline of Canada captain Christine Sinclair’s career

Oct 20, 2023 | 7:50 AM

A look at the career of Canadian soccer icon Christine Sinclair, who has announced she is retiring from international soccer at the end of the year:

March 12, 2000 — A 16-year-old Sinclair, then Canada’s youngest-ever player, makes her senior debut for Canada in a 4-0 loss to China at the Algarve Cup.

March 14, 2000 — Sinclair scores her first senior goal for Canada in a 2-1 loss to Norway at the Algarve Cup.

2001-2002 — Sinclair scores 27 goals in 19 international youth matches, including 10 goals to lead all players at the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in Canada. Five of those goals came in a 6-2 quarterfinal win over England.

Oct. 30, 2002 — Sinclair scores four goals in an 11-1 World Cup qualifying win over Haiti in Victoria.

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Sept. 20, 2003 — Sinclair makes her World Cup debut, scoring in the fourth minute of a 4-1 loss to Germany in Columbus.

Jan. 7, 2005 — Sinclair wins the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy for the second year in a row after scoring 22 goals, including 10 game-winners, and adding 11 assists during the 2004 season with the University of Portland.

July 18, 2007 — Sinclair scores four goals in an 11-1 win over Jamaica at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Feb. 20, 2010 — Sinclair scores her 100th goal in a 3-0 win over Poland in Larnaka, Cyprus. It was Sinclair’s 133rd cap, surpassing Andrea Neil who had held the Canadian record.

Oct. 31, 2010 — Sinclair records her third career four-goal performance in an 8-0 World Cup qualifying win over Guyana in Cancun, Mexico.

Aug. 6, 2012 — Sinclair scores a hat trick at Old Trafford as Canada loses controversially 4-3 after extra time to the U.S. in the London Olympic semifinal. Canada goes on to defeat France and win bronze.

Aug. 12, 2012 — Sinclair serves as Canada’s flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics.

Dec. 12, 2012 — Sinclair becomes the first women’s footballer to make 200 appearances for Canada, scoring her 147th career goal in a 2-0 win over Scotland in Brasilia.

2012 — Sinclair wins both the Lou Marsh Trophy (as Canada’s Athlete of the Year) and The Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year Award.

Sept. 21, 2013 — Sinclair is inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

June 6, 2015 — Sinclair converts a penalty in stoppage time to give Canada a 1-0 win over China in its 2015 World Cup opener before 53,058 fans at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium. The goal is Sinclair’s 154th.

Dec. 13, 2015 — Sinclair scores goal No. 158, tying American Mia Hamm for second on the all-time women’s scoring list as Canada beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-0 in Natal, Brazil.

Feb. 14, 2016 — Sinclair moves past Mia Hamm with her 159th goal in a 6-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in Houston.

Aug. 19, 2016 — Sinclair scores to help Canada win bronze in Sao Paulo by defeating host Brazil 2-1 at the 2016 Olympics. She becomes the first woman to make 250 appearances for Canada.

June 30, 2017 — Sinclair is appointed to the Order of Canada (she was invested on Jan. 24, 2018).

Dec. 11, 2018 — Sinclair is named Canada Soccer Player of the Year for the 14th time.

June 20, 2019 — Sinclair scores in a 2-1 win over the Netherlands, becoming the second player to score in five consecutive World Cups.

Dec. 16, 2019 — Sinclair is named Canada Soccer Player of the Decade.

Jan. 29, 2020 — Sinclair makes soccer history, notching goals No. 184 and 185, in an 11-0 win over St. Kitts and Nevis at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic, Qualifying Championship. to pass retired American Abby Wambach and become the world’s all-time leading goal-scorer.

Aug. 6, 2021 — Sinclair leads Canada to Olympic gold via a penalty shootout win over Sweden in Yokohama.

Jan. 16, 2022 — Sinclair receives The Best FIFA Special Award for being the leading international goal-scorer.

July 5, 2022 — Sinclair scores goal No. 190 in a 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 at the CONCACAF W Championship in Guadalupe, Mexico.

Aug. 1, 2022 — Sinclair is appointed to the Order of British Columbia.

Nov. 1, 2022 — Sinclair’s autobiography, “Playing the Long Game” is released. 

Oct. 29, 2022 — Sinclair captains Portland to a third NWSL title with a 2-0 win over the Kansas City Current, setting a league record for playoff minutes played in the process.

Feb. 10, 2023 — Sinclair and the Canadian women announce a training boycott at the SheBelieves Cup over the ongoing labour dispute with Canada Soccer. The job action lasts one day after the governing body threatens legal action.  

April 23, 2023 — Sinclair scores two minutes into the Portland Thorns’ 2-0 win over visiting Racing Louisville to become the second player in National Women’s Soccer League history to record 60 career goals. Australian Sam Kerr scored 77 goals during her time in the league.

July 20, 2023 — Sinclair starts against Nigeria to open her sixth World Cup. At 40 years 38 days when the tournament opened, the Canada captain was the second-oldest player involved (behind Nigeria’s Onome Ebi’s 40 years 73 days).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2023

The Canadian Press