Abby Wambach, the leading career goal scorer in international play and a former Gator, announced her retirement from soccer Tuesday.
Wambach, who publicly wished to complete her career with an international title, made her announcement shortly after the U.S. national team finished celebrating this summer’s women’s World Cup victory in Washington, D.C., with President Barack Obama.
"After much deliberation and talking with my friends, family, teammates and our coaching staff, I've decided to finally bring my soccer career to an end," Wambach said in a statement.
Before hanging up her cleats, 35-year-old Wambach will play in the final four games of the team’s 10-game victory tour, which concludes Dec. 16 against China in New Orleans.
The U.S. capped off a dominant World Cup run over the summer with a 5-2 defeat of Japan, a perennial power. Carli Lloyd was named MVP of the tournament after completing a hat trick in just 16 minutes.
Wambach’s career included a heralded campaign for coach Becky Burleigh’s Gators. The Rochester, New York, native took home Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 1998 and would be named SEC Player of the Year in 2000 and 2001.
She set multiple records during her senior season, including career records for goals (96), points (242), assists (50), game-winning goals (24), and hat tricks (10). Wambach was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.
"While we still have more work to do for women's soccer, after bringing the World Cup back to the United States this summer, I'm feeling extremely optimistic about the future of our sport,” Wambach said. “It's been an amazing, wonderful ride, and I can't wait to see what the next chapter of my life brings."
Follow Graham Hall on Twitter @Graham311
In this July 5, 2015, file photo, United States' Abby Wambach holds an American flag after the U.S. beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women's World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Wambach, the leading career scorer, male or female, in international soccer, announced her retirement from soccer on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, shortly after the U.S. national team celebrated its Women's World Cup victory at the White House. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File_
