Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Christine Sinclair looking to beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Marta to World Cup record

talksport.com, 20 July 2023, 10:00
Christine Sinclair heads into her sixth World Cup already boasting the record for the most international goals scored by any player, male or female.

As if her 190 goals were not impressive enough, Sinclair also became only the second player to score in each of her five World Cups in 2019, joining Brazilian legend Marta with Cristiano Ronaldo later equalling the duo.

But amazingly, even with 323 caps for Canada, Sinclair is still not the most-capped international player of all time.

To win that accolade, she will have to make 33 more appearances and surpass the current record of 354 caps, held by the USA's Kristine Lilly.

And at 40 years old, the forward appears to be going strong.

Domestically, she is midway through her 11th season for Portland Thorns, who are the defending champions and who currently sit 2nd in the National Women's Soccer League table.

READ MORE ON THE WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

Who is most capped women's footballer? Sinclair has over 300 caps but doesn't hold record

The best players to watch out for at the Women's World Cup: Morgan and Kerr to shine

Sinclair must now turn her attention to setting a new record - Canada's have never won a medal at a Women's World Cup.

This World Cup will be Sinclair's sixth, and she is set to captain Canada as they try to emulate their gold medal success in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where they swept aside teams including Brazil, the United States and Sweden.

A leader both on and off the field, Sinclair has also been at the forefront of the Canadian women's national team's fight for equal pay.

Canada's women's team announced a strike in February, stating they would not accept a lower level of financial support than their counterpart men's team.

Most read in Football

Mahrez and Henderson set for Saudi, Newcastle agree Barnes deal, Onana to Man United

Angry Pochettino runs onto pitch and confronts referee in Chelsea's win against Wrexham

New Zealand celebrate shock World Cup win over Norway in front of record breaking crowd

Man United were 48 hours from signing the greatest player alive and players couldn't wait

Speaking to The Canadian Press in February after the strike began, Sinclair said: "Until things move forward, I don't know what's going to happen. But we're not playing."

But the strike was short-lived.

Canada Soccer allegedly threatened the women's team with legal action and demands for millions of dollars in damages if they did not return to football.

The team reluctantly returned to training, but Sinclair took to social media to say: "To be clear. We are being forced back to work for the short term.

"This is not over. We will continue to fight for everything we deserve and we will win. The SheBelieves is being played in protest."

Indeed, at the SheBelieves Cup in February, the players all wore purple shirts with the words "Enough is Enough" written across the front in order to voice their protests against Canada Soccer.

It was announced in March that an interim funding deal between Canada Soccer and the women's national team had been agreed.

But the final collective bargaining agreement has not yet been signed, meaning Sinclair will lead the Olympic champions to the World Cup against a backdrop of uncertainty.

Read More on talkSPORT

Arteta has three attributes that are non-negotiable for players and Timber has them all

Footage captures moment Messi is unveiled by Inter Miami in front of sell-out stadium

Still, Sinclair's teammate and Canadian goalkeeper told The Canadian Press: "I know that we have a very resilient group, a very gritty group and that group of people — no matter what is happening off the field — will make sure the job gets done on the field."

Sinclair will be hoping to make her 324th appearance for Canada when they begin their World Cup campaign against Nigeria on Friday 21 July at 3:30am UK time.

You can follow live commentary of the 2023 Women's World Cup on the talkSPORT network, with our coverage kicking off on Saturday with England vs Haiti on talkSPORT at 10.30am

Top News

26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk FC Twente will hope to pick up their first win of their Europa League campaign when they host Union SG in their fifth match in the competition on Thursday at De Grolsch Veste. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted his team are currently "fragile" following their 3-3 draw with Feyenoord in the Champions League, while the Spaniard appeared to be covered in cuts during his post-match interviews. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hungarian champions Ferencvaros are set to welcome Swedish champions Malmo to Groupama Arena on Thursday in their fifth Europa League game of the season. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy insists the 'wheels have come off' at Manchester City after their three-goal implosion on Tuesday night. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In their fifth Europa League match of 2024-25, Portuguese side Braga will host Bundesliga team Hoffenheim at Estadio Municipal de Braga on Thursday. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Long-time teammates for both club and country, Javier Mascherano and Lionel Messi are finally reunited. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lyon will seek to ignore off-field concerns and continue their excellent form on the pitch when they make the long trip to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag FK in the Europa League on Thursday. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Micah Richards was 'banned' from discussing Brest on Tuesday night, leading to a hilariously immature conversation about the French side. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Dutch giants Ajax will travel to the Basque region of Spain for Thursday's Europa League clash against Real Sociedad. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Robert Lewandowski now has over 100 Champions League goals, but he still has a long way to go to catch leader Cristiano Ronaldo. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ange Postecoglou may be forced into starting some of his big-hitters in attack when Tottenham Hotspur face Roma in the Europa League on Thursday. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Paulo Dybala could return to the Roma starting lineup when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League in North London on Thursday night. 26 November 2024 talksport.com EA FC 25's Road to the Knockouts campaign is well underway as teams look to progress in Europe. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Man City's torrid run continues after they let a three-goal slip against Feyenoord in the Champions League. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Robert Lewandowski fired Barcelona to another three points in the Champions League as his Barca side emerged as 3-0 victors against Brest on Tuesday night, continuing their march toward the round of 16. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have seen their woes deepen as they were pegged back from 3-0 up to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord at the Etihad in the Champions League this evening. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich boosted their Champions League progression bid after a slow start to the league phase with a crucial 1-0 victory over 10-man Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening at the Allianz Arena, pushing PSG into a concerning position outside the top 24 qualification spots. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal scored five goals in a Champions League away game for just the third time as they obliterated a sorry Sporting Lisbon 5-1 at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Jude Bellingham has divided opinion among two of talkSPORT's most esteemed pundits following his latest press conference. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fresh off the back of their astonishing 4-0 win over Manchester City at the weekend, Tottenham Hotspur welcome a Roma side in disarray to North London in the Europa League on Thursday. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Arsenal defender Gabriel rubbed salt into Sporting's wounds by mocking superstar Viktor Gyokeres' iconic celebration. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Erling Haaland is back with a bang for Manchester City in the Champions League, but couldn't help his side to victory in a 3-3 draw. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Mohamed Salah is desperate to extend his time on Merseyside and is more likely to stay at Anfield beyond the summer than leave, Liverpool transfer expert David Lynch has claimed. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's win against Southampton on Sunday has made the Reds clear favourites for the Premier League title and was a sign that Arne Slot's side are ready to be champions, Reds expert David Lynch has argued. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Gabriel Agbonlahor has called on Liverpool to open the chequebook for Mohamed Salah and avoid an 'unforgivable' mistake. 26 November 2024 talksport.com Robert Lewandowski has followed in the footsteps of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with his latest and historic Champions League goal. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal's 3-0 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest was their best performance of the season so far, and Mikel Arteta should continue tinkering with his starting XI as he did at the weekend to keep opponents guessing. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both on track for at least a Champions League playoff place, debutants Aston Villa and veterans Juventus are set to meet at Villa Park on Wednesday evening. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Out to snap an eight-game winless sequence against their fierce Champions League rivals, Liverpool host holders Real Madrid at Anfield for Wednesday's league phase blockbuster. 26 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool boss Arne Slot has insisted that Mohamed Salah is 'not distracted' despite his recent comments about his contract situation.