THE RECORD BREAKER

No footballer, male or female, has ever scored more international goals than Christine Sinclair. At 40 years of age, she's back for her sixth World Cup with Canada and aiming to nudge her tally ever closer to 200...

- Richard Laverty

Canada's Christine Sinclair has achieved almost everything. After turning 40 on June 12, she's set to embark on a sixth World Cup and is six goals clear of USA's Abby Wambach as the highest scorer in the history of international football, male or female.

Having found the net a staggering 190 times since her debut for Canada back in 2000, she went into June 68 goals ahead of the men's record holder, Cristiano Ronaldo. She has also scored in five separate World Cups - only Marta and Ronaldo can match that statistic - and will be aiming to make that six this summer.

In 2021, Sinclair finally won Olympic gold with Canada, sinking Sweden on penalties in Japan - for her country, she's racked up a whole host of titles over the years, as well as three NWSL Championships with current club Portland Thorns in the USA.

Her personal accolades would make any player jealous. She's been a FIFA World Player of the Year nominee an incredible eight times and was awarded an Outstanding Career Achievement trophy at the Best FIFA Football Awards in 2021. She's won golden boots at the Olympics, clinched the Under-19 World Championship and been named Canada's player of the decade. Back home, she's been her country's player of the year a staggering 14 times, spanning from her debut year in 2000 through to 2018.

There's no other way of putting it, Sinclair is a legend - not just in Canada, but around the world. However, such are the inequalities still existing between the male and female game that her fame levels sadly don't quite match that of men's record holder Ronaldo. With 323 caps, she's now just 31 behind the all-time appearance record held by retired USA star Kristine Lilly, too.