Abby Wambach calls time on her stellar international career on Wednesday evening – and she’s got a fan in President Obama.
Wambach, who will play for the US women’s soccer team against China in the New Orleans Superdome tonight, has received messages of support all day as she prepares to bow out, but the president’s missive probably tops the lot.
He tweeted:
Congrats on a great career, Abby Wambach. For the goals you’ve scored & the kids you’ve inspired, you’re the GOAT! pic.twitter.com/Kud56ChsBO
— President Obama (@POTUS) December 16, 2015
(GOAT, incidentally, is short for “greatest of all time”.)
Wambach, 35, has scored 184 international goals since her debut in 2001 – more than any other player, male or female, in history.
In his tweet, Obama included a picture of Wambach and him in October, when the president hosted the women’s soccer team to honor their victory in the Women’s World Cup. Carli Lloyd scored a hat-trick as the US defeated Japan 5-2 in July to collect the trophy for the first time in 16 years.
“They’ve inspired millions of girls to dream bigger and, by the way, inspired millions of boys to look at girls differently, which is just as important,” Obama said at the time.
“This team taught all America’s children that playing like a girl means you’re a badass,” the president said, to applause in the White House East Room. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have used that phrase. Playing like a girl means being the best.”
USA take on China at 8pm in New Orleans. We can reasonably assume that tears will be shed.
