USWNT Star Carli Lloyd Opens Up on the Dark Side of Her Soccer Career

Two-time Olympic gold medalist and USWNT legend Carli Lloyd is going to retire this year. It has been an incredible and rewarding journey for the 39-year-old Carli. In her career, she has been part of a three-time Olympic medal-winning team for the USA.

Undoubtedly, she has been a crucial part of the team. But reaching her legendary level has not been a cakewalk for the two-time FIFA player of the year.

People trashed her for her decisions during her soccer career

Carli rose to fame after her hat-trick in the world cup finals. Notably, after becoming the face of the USWNT, she started getting more endorsements deals. However, her fame and increase in recognition were criticized by many people.

In conversation with Goal, Carli talked about how people reacted to her media attention. “I was trying to take full advantage of my opportunities and thinking long term and thinking about family, retirement and all these things, and a lot of media, a lot of people, were just trashing me. ‘Oh, she’s got a book tour, she’s worried about that, she’s missing this’.”

“No one ever asked me why I’m doing all these things, or how it’s amazing for a female athlete to be getting all these opportunities,” Carli said.

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After retiring from a long career, sometimes even the best athletes go into bankruptcy. This is the future that Carli wanted to safeguard herself against.

Carli Lloyd has no regrets for safeguarding her future

The USWNT star was criticized for prioritizing her endorsements over the game. Although, that is an unfair statement to make given her contribution in making the USWNT an international powerhouse.

Carli also opened up about how people judged her based on their negative thinking. Lloyd said, “That was really difficult, because if I didn’t take advantage of all of that, I would have regretted it. No one asked me. No one was intrigued. They just had to dive into the negative of thinking that I don’t care about the NWSL and I don’t care about performing.”

Despite the haters, Carli Lloyd is one of the most decorated players in the world. She has broken boundaries as a woman athlete and has contributed to making the sports world a better place for female athletes.

Also read: WATCH: Carli Lloyd Hammers 5 Goals as USWNT Farewell Begins