Carli Lloyd’s incredible international career comes to an end today.

She will don the United States Women’s National Team jersey one last time as the national team for a friendly against South Korea.

The 39-year-old will receive an unforgettable farewell, with FoxSports even broadcasting a dedicated “CarliCam” that will follow Lloyd throughout the game.

Before his last match, GiveMeSport Women looks back on his incredible international career.

Inspired by the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Born in 1982, Lloyd started playing football at the age of 5. She was renowned for her talent at Delran High School and was named High School Girls’ Player of the Year by The Philadelphia Investigator in 1999 and 2000.

In an interview with FIFA, Lloyd revealed that she was inspired by the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup after attending the opening match.

“I remember the women playing, the fans – everyone was so excited,” she said. “It was a remarkable moment and I said to myself then it would be amazing to be able to play for my country. I had no idea this dream would come true.”

Lloyd played for the women’s soccer team at Rutgers University from 2001-2004, balancing appearances for the United States Under-21 team at the same time.

His first selection for the senior team came on July 10, 2005 against Ukraine, followed by his country’s first goal against Taiwan on October 1, 2006.

It is the start of a magnificent international career.

A record international career

Since his first appearance against Ukraine, Lloyd has played an incredible 315 times for the United States. This makes her the second most capped footballer of all time, behind her compatriot Kristine Lilly with 354 caps.

Midfielder or striker by trade, Lloyd has often been part of a powerful American strike force, scoring 134 goals in total.

His goals were crucial at times – Lloyd scored the gold medal-winning goals in the finals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and London 2012.

She also helped the United States win the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups. In the former tournament, Lloyd became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. She was the second player to achieve the feat, after Geoff Hurst.

Lloyd’s impressive performances earned her the FIFA Player of the Year award in 2015 and 2016.

The American’s career has not been without controversy. Lloyd has been criticized for not kneeling alongside her teammates during the US national anthem, a symbolic gesture against racism.

She also described the 2019 Women’s World Cup as “absolutely the worst time of my life” due to her lack of playing time.

Despite this, Lloyd will be remembered as one of the most remarkable players on the best women’s football team the world has ever known.

She will come out with well-deserved praise tonight.

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