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

Canada's Christine Sinclair celebrates her penalty kick goal against Cuba during the first half of play in a CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying soccer game in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday January 21, 2012. The star ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ soccer player has announced her retirement. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A look at the career of ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ 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.

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 ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ 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 ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥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 ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ 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 ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ 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 ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥was first published Oct. 20, 2023

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