The sports heroine, who has scored 184 goals in over 250 games for her country, broke the news she was hanging up her boots in a statement issued to ESPN on Tuesday (27Oct15).

It reads: "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."

The 35 year old, who led Team USA to victory in the World Cup earlier this year (15), adds, "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 sport. It’s been an amazing, wonderful ride and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter of my life brings."