The name Carli Lloyd isn’t unfamiliar to soccer fans. She has made a name for herself in the soccer community and has been playing with the USWNT (United States Women’s National Team) since 2005. In world soccer history, 39-year-old Carli Lloyd is the second most capped player, meaning she has represented her country in the second most international games. 

Playing midfield or forward, Carli Lloyd has made 316 appearances, scored 134 goals, and has played in 2 world cups. One of her many most notable accomplishments was scoring three goals in the course of 15 minutes in the 2015 World Cup, according to USsoccer.com. 

As one of the senior-most members of the team, there were always conspiracy theories circulating about her retirement. Fans thought that the program was pushing for a younger generation of athletes. Although Lloyd has shown that her retirement is what is best for her. In an interview with NBC Sports she says, “ It’s been emotional. But there’s just a sense of peace and contentment that I feel — it’s just joy and happiness…It’s been an amazing journey and I gave it all I had, and now I can walk away into the next chapter.”

Lloyd has been finding positives to her retirement and is looking forward to focusing on her family. “To end my career knowing my family was able to be by my side and share this last chapter with me could not have been any more special,” she said in an interview with US Soccer. “We will all have a lot more time to spend together now, and especially with my husband Brian, who has been my rock and biggest support system for all these years. We are both looking forward to starting this next chapter of our lives without my everyday grind of training and playing, but I will most likely need another outlet for my competitiveness.”

Lloyd’s name will not be forgotten in the soccer world. She will continue to be an inspiration for soccer players around the world as she played a key asset to the accomplishments of the USWNT. Lloyd admits she is proud of her career and will continue to look back on it with joy. 

“Through all the goals, the trophies, the medals and the championships won, what I am most proud of is that I’ve been able to stay unapologetically me,” she told  US Soccer.  “My journey has been hard, but I can honestly say I’ve stayed true to myself, to my teammates, my coaches, the media and the fans throughout my entire career and that is what I am most proud of. Everyone sees the moments of glory, but I have cherished the work behind the scenes and the adversity that I’ve had to overcome to get to those glorious moments.”