The biggest moments in Carli Lloyd’s U.S. women’s soccer team career
Lloyd played in 47 major tournament games, including World Cups and Olympics, the most of any player in U.S. women's team history. Here's how we covered some of her most famous moments.
The time has come for the end of Carli Lloyd’s decorated soccer playing career.
Lloyd played her final U.S. national team game on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn., and will play the last regular-season game of her club career with the NWSL’s Gotham FC on Sunday. Gotham also gave the Delran a homecoming game in the Philly area on Oct. 6 at Subaru Park. If Gotham makes the playoffs, when that postseason run ends, so will Lloyd’s playing days.
Here’s a look back at some of the standout moments in Lloyd’s career, when she shined on the sport’s biggest stages: the World Cup and the Olympics. Lloyd played in 47 major tournament games in her 17 years with the senior U.S. national team, the most of any player in program history.
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2007 World Cup
Made her first World Cup team and started in three of her five appearances in the tournament.
2008 Olympics
Arrived on the big stage by scoring the winning goal in the gold medal game against Brazil. Also scored the winner in a group stage game against Japan.
2011 World Cup
Scored her first ever World Cup goal, in a group stage win over Colombia. Played every minute of the run to the final except the last 35 of the semifinal win over France. Scored during the penalty shootout win over Brazil in the quarterfinals; missed from the spot in the loss to Japan in the final.
2012 Olympics
After being benched by then-coach Pia Sundhage before the tournament, she came back when Shannon Boxx was injured in the opener against France, then from prominence to stardom. Scored the winning goal vs. France as the U.S. came back from 2-0 down to prevail 4-2; then scored in the next game against Colombia; then scored both goals in the gold medal game as the U.S. beat Japan, 2-1.
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2015 World Cup
Earned a place among the national team’s all-time legends with the first ever hat trick in a women’s World Cup final, ending the U.S.’ 16-year title drought. Also scored in the semifinals (and had an assist), the quarterfinals (in her 200th cap), and the round of 16. Won the tournament’s Golden Boot award as the scorer, the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s most outstanding player, and ultimately FIFA’s World Player of the Year award.
» FROM OUR ARCHIVES: Carli Lloyd’s fame rises to new levels after World Cup final heroics
2016 Olympics
Captained the team and scored in the first two group stage games, and from the spot in the shootout loss to Sweden. She could have had one more with six minutes left in extra time against Sweden – and it would likely have been a game-winner – but she was wrongly flagged offside. To her surprise, she won FIFA’s Player of the Year award for the second straight time.
2019 World Cup
Played in all seven games but started just one, the middle group stage contest against Chile. She didn’t hide her frustration about coming off the bench, but when she got the call to start she delivered with two goals. In the other contests, she was a second-half closer who helped the U.S. win every game of the tournament -- a feat the squad didn’t achieve in 2015.
» FROM OUR ARCHIVES: Carli Lloyd is as driven as ever as the U.S. women’s soccer team heads to France for the Women’s World Cup
2021 Olympics
Lloyd made the 18-player U.S. squad for the Summer Games in Tokyo. The Americans fell short in their attempt to become the first reigning World Cup champion to win the following Olympics, losing in the semifinals to rival Canada. But they won the bronze medal game over Australia, 4-3, with Lloyd scoring twice -- including the goal that became the game-winner.
The second of those goals was Lloyd’s 10th in Olympic competition, the most of any player in U.S. women’s team history.
» READ MORE: Carli Lloyd has ‘never been this happy’ as she aims for her fifth major title with the U.S. women’s soccer team
How Carli Lloyd ranks among the USWNT’s all-time greats
Lloyd’s place in U.S. women’s national team history has been earned not just with goals, but with longevity. Here’s how her career so far stacks up against other American legends.
World Cups
Most games played
Most goals scored
Olympics
Most games played
Most goals scored
World Cups and Olympics combined
Most games played
Most goals scored
Most titles won
Sources: U.S. Soccer, FBRef.com, Soccerway.com, and the NWSL Almanac.