US women's football star Carli Lloyd retires at 39

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - US women's football star Carli Lloyd, 39, ended her career after a friendly match against South Korea late Tuesday.

Lloyd was subbed off for Alex Morgan in the 66th minute, while US team sealed a 6-0 win over South Korea at the Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota.

She shared an emotional farewell message through The Players' Tribune – a website publishing first-person articles from famous athletes.

"Every single woman who pulls on that USWNT (US women's national soccer team) jersey and represents their country, they have sacrificed things that you wouldn’t imagine. We give our lives over to this game," she wrote.

"Personally, I have gone through a lot of tough times. I have witnessed people close to me take advantage of me for their own benefit, I have been brainwashed and manipulated by some, and I even became separated from my family for 12 years — missing out on so many things."

"You know, it’s really hard to say goodbye," she said.

Lloyd scored 134 goals in 315 appearances for the US since 2005.

She is a two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion, in 2015 and 2019, as well as a four-time Olympian. She won two golds in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and a bronze in Tokyo 2020.