Abby Wambach retires from U.S. soccer

U.S. women’s soccer forward Abby Wambach announced on Tuesday that she is retiring from soccer after a 15-year career.

The decision to retire came after Wambach visited the White House. The U.S. women’s national team was being honored by President Barack Obama on Tuesday for winning the World Cup title this summer. Wambach has said she wanted to end her career with a World Cup title.

“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, USA Today notes. "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 sports. It’s been an amazing, wonderful ride and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter of my life brings.”

While honoring the U.S. women’s team at the White House, President Obama said, "This team taught all America's children that playing like a girl means you're a badass. Perhaps I shouldn't have used that phrase. Playing like a girl means being the best."

Wambach has played for the U.S. national team for 15 years. She is the leading scorer, male or female, in international soccer. In 252 international matches Wambach has 184 goals, won a pair of gold medals at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics, and won the World Cup title, the U.S.’s third overall and first since 1999, this year, according to the Associated Press. She was named FIFA Player of the Year in 2012, joining Mia Hamm as the only Americans to win FIFA player of the year.

Wambach will play the final four games of the national team’s 10-game victory tour before she retires. Her final game will be against China in New Orleans on December 16.

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