B.C. Place Stadium is being renamed “Christine Sinclair Place” for one night only, in honour of the Canada captain’s final international outing.
The 40-year-old from Burnaby. B.C., is calling time on her international soccer career with a pair of games against Australia in her backyard — on Friday at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., and Dec. 5 in Vancouver.
Sinclair, who plans to play one more season with the NWSL Portland Thorns, is the world’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 190 from 329 international appearances.
Some 40,000 tickets have already been sold for the Dec. 5 game in Vancouver. The Langford game is already sold out.
The star forward has played nine times at B.C. Place Stadium, including the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament final against the U.S., the 2015 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal against England, and most recently against Nigeria in an April 2022 game that marked the official celebration of Sinclair’s scoring record.
WATCH | Sinclair always came up big when it mattered most:
Featured VideoChristine Sinclair saved some of her best performances for the Olympics; moments that helped Canada reach new heights.
“Christine Sinclair is not just a national hero; she’s a hometown hero,” B.C. Place general manager Chris May said in a statement. “Growing up in Burnaby, her journey to international stardom resonates deeply with the local community. By renaming B.C. Place as ‘Christine Sinclair Place’ for her final match, we are also paying tribute to the profound impact she has had on her hometown and its aspiring athletes.”
The Dec. 5 festivities will include “specialty menu items reflective of Sinclair’s favourite foods” and a specialty cocktail, named No. 12 after Sinclair’s jersey number, available for one night only.
The day after the game, the stadium will host a retirement party with proceeds going to the newly established Christine Sinclair Foundation “dedicated to empowering Girls With Goals.”
The evening includes dinner and drinks, a fireside chat with Sinclair and former teammate Stephanie Labbe, and a performance by Dallas Smith.
WATCH | Epic 2012 Olympic performance cemented Sinclair’s legend:
Featured VideoThe performance of Sinclair and the rest of the Canadian team helped ignite a passion for women’s soccer in Canada. The team went on to win bronze after a hard-fought loss to their rivals, the United States, an achievement no Canadian team had accomplished at a Summer Olympics since 1936.
Abdu, Schmidt added to Canada roster
Coach Bev Priestman has called up forward Latifah Abdu and veteran midfielder Sophie Schmidt to replace the injured Evelyne Viens and Julia Grosso for Canada’s upcoming friendlies against Australia.
Viens was substituted in AS Roma’s Nov. 23 Champions League victory over Ajax. Juventus said Grosso sprained her left ankle in a weekend win at Napoli with a subsequent scan showing a ligament injury.
Schmidt retired from international soccer after this summer’s World Cup but is being honoured at the Vancouver game along with Sinclair and retired goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who announced her international retirement in January.
The original plan called for Schmidt to suit up one last time in Vancouver. But with Grosso sidelined, she has also been added to the roster for the Victoria game.
The 35-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., who plays for the NWSL’s Houston Dash, has won 224 caps for Canada.
It’s a first senior camp for 22-year-old Abdu of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., who plays in France for Dijon.
Abdu was 15 when she made her debut in the Canadian youth program in 2017 under Priestman. She has not featured for Canada since the under-17 team.
Australia’s Kerr out with injury
Meanwhile, Australian captain Sam Kerr will miss the friendlies against Canada with a foot injury.
Chelsea, Kerr’s English club team, said the 30-year-old star forward will stay with the London-based side for treatment during the international window.
The Canada women are well acquainted with Kerr given that Kadeisha Buchanan, Jessie Fleming and Ashley Lawrence are teammates at Chelsea. Kerr was replaced by Fleming in the 81st minute of Chelsea’s 5-2 win over Leicester City on Sunday.
Kerr, who made her Australian senior debut at 15, is the Matildas’ all-time scorer with 69 goals. Her last international strike, the Australian women’s team 900th goal, came in a 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei earlier this month in an Olympic qualifier in Perth, Australia.
Kerr, nursing a calf injury, missed out on Australia’s 4-0 win over Canada at the World Cup in July in Melbourne, a resulted that sent the Canadian women home before the knockout round. She saw action later in the tournament as the co-host Matildas finished fourth.