Christine Sinclair thought she鈥檇 quietly retire from the Canadian national team after helping the squad qualify for next summer鈥檚 Paris Olympics.

Clearly that wasn鈥檛 happening for international soccer鈥檚 all-time leading scorer.

鈥淚 wanted to be part of the group to help the team qualify for Paris, for the team, but for me personally it was important,鈥� Sinclair said. 鈥淚 thought that was going to be it and I was going to walk off and not say a word.鈥�

But the unassuming 40-year-old forward changed her mind when she heard Canada would host additional games this year.

鈥淢y friends and family convinced me: `You can鈥檛 just leave. You owe it to Canada to come out and play these games,鈥欌�� she said.

Sinclair spoke Thursday as she prepared to play in the first two of four exhibition matches. Canada hosts Brazil on Saturday in Montreal and Tuesday in Halifax.

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The team will get two more friendlies this year, both against Australia, in Sinclair鈥檚 native British Columbia. The first will be played in Langford on Dec. 1 before her formal send-off match at BC Place on Dec. 5.

Late last month, she was on Canada鈥檚 roster for a two-legged CONCACAF Olympic qualifier against Jamaica. Canada claimed its spot in France 4鈥�1 on aggregate over the Reggae Girlz.

Canada is the Olympic tournament鈥檚 defending champion after winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Games. In addition to the gold, Sinclair retires with bronze medals from the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

However, Canada was coming off a disappointing finish this summer at the Women鈥檚 World Cup, where the team failed to advance out of the group stage.

鈥淎fter Tokyo, just the way we went out and won the thing, I knew I didn鈥檛 want to play in Paris. There鈥檚 no better way to go out,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I did want to give the World Cup one more shot. I thought this team had a unique opportunity to prove to the world that Tokyo wasn鈥檛 a fluke, and obviously we haven鈥檛 had the most success in the World Cup.

鈥淚 knew I could play, I was ready to play and give it one more shot. And then with the way the World Cup went, I didn鈥檛 want that to be it.鈥�

Sinclair has scored 190 international goals, most among both men and women, since she made her national team debut in 2000. She has played in 327 matches for Canada. Cristiano Ronaldo, the top scorer among the men, has 127 goals.

Sinclair is also among just five players to appear in six Women鈥檚 World Cups, and one of just three players to score in five. But a World Cup trophy has eluded her.

Sinclair announced last week on social media that she would finish out the year with Canada before hanging up her cleats 鈥� even posting a picture of her cleats draped over a goalpost and swaying in the breeze.

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The next day, she posted a poignant letter to her younger self that confirmed the cryptic message, but she had not spoken publicly about her retirement until Thursday.

Sinclair鈥檚 playing career isn鈥檛 totally over. She鈥檚 hoping for one more season with her club team, the Portland Thorns in the National Women鈥檚 Soccer League. The Thorns have a playoff game on Nov. 5 against Gotham FC. Win that, and the Thorns will vie for a fourth NWSL championship on Nov. 11.

For that reason, Sinclair hasn鈥檛 yet pondered her legacy in women鈥檚 soccer.

鈥淚 think when I鈥檓 actually done playing, I鈥檒l look back on that,鈥� Sinclair said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just proud to have been part of the growth of women鈥檚 football around the world, and obviously here in Canada.鈥�

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press

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