Carli Lloyd

Early life Born to Stephen and Pamela Lloyd, Carli was raised in Delran Township, a suburban community in New Jersey. She has a brother, Stephen, and a sister, Ashley. She began playing soccer at age five. At age 17, she attended the opening U.S. match of the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup at nearby Giants Stadium, which inspired her to play for the national team.

High school career Lloyd attended Delran High School from 1997 to 2001, where she played soccer under the tutelage of Rudy Klobach. As a high school athlete, she was known for her exceptional ball control and skill at distributing the ball from the midfield. During her senior year, she scored 26 goals and served eight assists while captaining her team to an 18–3 record. The Philadelphia Inquirer named her Girls' High School Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000. She was named to the Star-Ledger All-State First Team twice and received 1999 and 2000 Parade All-American honors. In 2000, she was named the Courier-Post Player of the Year and the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association (SJSCA) Midfielder of the Year. While in high school, Lloyd also played for the semi-professional W-League teams Central Jersey Splash (1999), New Brunswick Power (2000), and South Jersey Banshees (2001).

College career Lloyd attended Rutgers University from 2001 to 2005, and played for the Scarlet Knights women's soccer team under head coach Glenn Crooks. During her freshman season, she started every match and was the team's leading scorer with 15 goals. She was named to Soccer America's All-Freshman Team and was the first Rutgers player to earn Big East Rookie of the Year honors.

In the summer of 2004—just prior to her senior year—Lloyd played one match for the semi-professional W-League team New Jersey Wildcats. Lloyd ended her college career as the school's all-time leader in points (117), goals (50), and shots. In 2013, she was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

Club career

2009–2011: Women's Professional Soccer In 2008, Lloyd signed with the Chicago Red Stars of the newly launched Women's Professional Soccer league. During the league's inaugural season, she scored two goals: one during her team's 4–0 win over the Boston Breakers on April 25, and the other during a 3–1 victory over the Los Angeles Sol on August 2. The Red Stars finished the season in sixth place in the league, with a record. Lloyd was a free agent for the upcoming 2010 season; she signed with her home state club, Sky Blue FC, In April 2010, Lloyd slipped and broke her ankle during a match against the Red Stars. The injury kept her off the field until September, when she returned for two games.

In December 2010, Lloyd signed with the expansion team Atlanta Beat for the 2011 season. The team's head coach James Galanis described Lloyd as a "fantastic midfielder", and said he expected her to bring professionalism to the team. The Beat finished their first season in last place with a record, with Lloyd scoring two goals in ten appearances.

2013–2014: Western New York Flash In January 2013, Lloyd joined the Western New York Flash in the new National Women's Soccer League as part of the NWSL Player Allocation. After recovering from a shoulder injury suffered earlier in the year, Lloyd made her debut for the Flash on May 12, during the team's 2–1 win over FC Kansas City. She scored her first goal for the Flash in a match against her former club, Sky Blue FC, as the Flash won 3–0. During a match against the Washington Spirit on June 28, Lloyd scored a hat trick as the Flash achieved a 4–0 victory. She was named NWSL Player of the Week for her performance.

Lloyd finished the 2013 season with 10 goals, the third-highest goal total in the league. The Flash finished first in league play during the regular season with a record, and advanced to the playoffs. During the Flash's semifinal match against Sky Blue, Lloyd scored two goals to secure a 2–0 win. The Flash were defeated 2–0 by the Portland Thorns FC in the championship final.

2015–2017: Houston Dash and Manchester City

On October 16, 2014, Lloyd was traded to the Houston Dash in exchange for Becky Edwards, Whitney Engen and a third-round pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft.

In February 2017, Lloyd joined the English club Manchester City on loan, for the FA WSL Spring Series. The club finished second in the Spring Series and won the 2016–17 FA Women's Cup. Lloyd scored a goal in the final, a 4–1 victory over Birmingham City. Lloyd's final appearance for City came on May 21, when she was ejected from the game for elbowing an opposing player in the face. The three-match ban she received for violent conduct covered the remainder of her loan period.

2018–2021: Sky Blue FC (Gotham FC)

In January 2018, Lloyd was traded to Sky Blue FC, whose name would be changed to NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2021. Lloyd scored 4 goals in 18 appearances for the team in 2018, including the only goal in a 1–0 victory over the Orlando Pride, which was Sky Blue's sole win of the season. She was named to the 2018 NWSL Second XI.

International career Youth national team Lloyd represented the United States on the under-21 team from 2002 to 2005. She played at the Nordic Cup four times, winning consecutive titles from 2002 to 2005 in Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden respectively. During the first round of the 2003 Nordic Cup, she served the assist in her team's 1–0 win against Denmark. At the 2004 edition, she scored two goals and served one assist. At the 2005 edition, she scored three times, including one goal during the championship match against Norway.

Senior national team Lloyd made her first appearance for the United States women's national soccer team on July 10, 2005, against Ukraine. She scored her first international goal on October 1, 2006, against Taiwan. She first made the starting lineup at the 2006 Algarve Cup, when she started in a group match against Denmark and in the final against Germany. In August, she registered her first two-goal game for the national team during a 6–1 win against New Zealand. In September, Lloyd played in her first Women's World Cup, held in China. The U.S. team finished third in the tournament, with Lloyd starting in three of the five games in which she played. During 2007, Lloyd started in 13 of her 23 matches. She ranked third on the team in scoring, with nine goals and three assists. Lloyd was named the 2008 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year along with Tim Howard. She was on the starting lineup in all 35 games in which she played in 2008. Her nine goals and nine assists resulted in her best scoring year yet on the national team. She scored two goals and served five assists at the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament, and was named the Player of the Match three times. Lloyd earned a second Algarve Cup Player of the Match award for her performance.

At the Women's World Cup, Lloyd scored her first-ever World Cup goal in a 3–0 win over Colombia in the group stage. During the tournament, she also tallied an assist and a penalty goal in the quarterfinal shootout against Brazil. The U.S. was defeated in the final against Japan, winning the silver medal.

2012 Summer Olympics in London Lloyd celebrates with her teammates after scoring a goal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. The national team opened 2012 with the Olympic Qualifiers in Canada. In their first group stage match, the U.S. defeated the Dominican Republic 14–0 with Lloyd tallying one goal and one assist. In the semifinal, the U.S. achieved a 3–0 win over Costa Rica, with Lloyd scoring one goal. She was named Player of the Match for the second game in a row. Lloyd finished the tournament with six goals and three assists, and was the joint-top goalscorer for the United States.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Lloyd scored a goal during her team's opening group match against France, which the U.S. won 4–2. She scored her second goal of the tournament in the second group match against Colombia as the U.S. won 3–0. During the final against Japan, Lloyd scored both U.S. goals in a 2–1 victory. She is the only player of any gender to score the game-winning goal in two separate Olympic gold medal matches; her first occurred during the 2008 final in Beijing .

After scoring her 46th international goal during a friendly against New Zealand in October 2013, Lloyd surpassed Julie Foudy to become the highest-scoring midfielder in the history of the women's national team.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Lloyd captained the national team during four matches of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. During the quarterfinal against China, she scored the winning goal in her 200th international appearance. In the final against Japan, she scored a hat-trick within the first 16 minutes. Her last goal was scored from just past the halfway line, and was hailed by Simon Evans of Reuters as "one of the most remarkable goals ever witnessed in a Women's World Cup". The goal earned Lloyd a nomination for the FIFA Puskás Award. The U.S. defeated Japan 5–2, becoming the first nation to win the Women's World Cup three times.

Lloyd won the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. While her six goals were enough to match Célia Šašić as the tournament's top scorer, Šašić won the Golden Boot for playing fewer minutes, which meant Lloyd was awarded the Silver Boot. Lloyd became the first woman to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final and the first player of any gender to do so since Geoff Hurst in 1966. She is the only player who has scored a hat-trick in regulation time in a World Cup final.

Following the U.S. victory at the World Cup, Lloyd and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City. Each player received a key to the city from Mayor Bill de Blasio. In October of the same year, the team was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.

2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

Lloyd scored the first goal for the U.S. at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her goal helped lift the U.S. to a 2–0 win over New Zealand in the group stage.

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

Lloyd scored in her first two games of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup: one against Thailand and two against Chile. She became the first player to score in six straight Women's World Cup matches.

2021: 300th international appearance and Tokyo Olympics On April 10, 2021, Lloyd appeared in her 300th international game, a friendly match against Sweden. She became the third soccer player of any gender to earn 300 international caps, after Kristine Lilly and Christie Pearce. Lloyd would finish her career with 316 international caps; she currently ranks third all-time in caps behind Lilly and Christine Sinclair. On June 14, the 38-year-old Lloyd became the oldest player to score for the United States, during a 4–0 win over Jamaica.

At the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Lloyd scored twice in a 4–3 win over Australia in the bronze medal match. With 10 Olympic goals in total, Lloyd surpassed Abby Wambach for the most Olympic goals scored by a USWNT player. Following the Olympics, Lloyd announced she would be retiring from the national team later in the year.

Style of play At the beginning of her career, Lloyd was criticized for being inconsistent and for easily losing possession of the ball. However, she eventually developed into one of the best players in the world, and was highly regarded for her determination, mental strength, and work ethic. A tenacious and energetic player, She was capable of aiding her team both defensively and offensively, due to her stamina, strength, and tackling, as well as her ability to get into good attacking positions, from which she could either score goals or create chances for teammates. These abilities, coupled with her tactical versatility, enabled her to be deployed in several midfield positions; although she began her career in the center, as a defensive midfielder, she was most comfortable when moved used as an attacking midfielder behind the forwards. Because of her tendency to score decisive goals, Lloyd earned a reputation as a "clutch player". Visa, Whole Foods Market, Lifeway Foods, United Airlines, Krave Jerky, Beats by Dre, Kind, and NJM Insurance. She appeared in commercials for Xfinity and Heineken.

In popular culture Lloyd has been featured in the magazines Glamour, Shape, and Sports Illustrated. She was on the cover of Howler Magazine. In 2012, she appeared in an ESPN feature called Title IX is Mine: USWNT. She has been interviewed on the television shows Good Morning America, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Live with Kelly and Michael, The Today Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Fox & Friends, and the Late Late Show with James Corden. Lloyd participated in the 2023 reality show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. She joined Soccer on Fox Sports as a studio analyst in 2022. She has appeared in the FIFA video game series.

Other activities

Criticism of the national team Since retiring, Lloyd has made critical comments regarding the national team, saying she hated playing for the team in the final years of her career. She said the team culture became "toxic" after the 2015 Women's World Cup victory, and alleged that players became more focused on building their brands than winning as a team. During the 2023 Women's World Cup, Lloyd criticized the team for celebrating after finishing runners-up in their group; she said the second-place finish was "not good enough." Lloyd's comments drew pushback from both current players and several of her former teammates.

Later in 2023, she said U.S. Soccer never wanted her to be the star of the team. “That's just the way the world works as far as showcasing players," Lloyd said. "They're not always highlighting the best players. They're oftentimes highlighting the most marketable players.”

CL10 Soccer Clinic, World Cup draws and Teqball Lloyd developed CL10 Soccer Clinic, a program to help players improve their skills. In 2022, she co-conducted the draws for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The same year, she partnered with Teqball USA as part of an effort to make Teqball an Olympic sport by 2028. They married on November 4, 2016, in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. On October 18, 2024, Lloyd gave birth to a girl, and the couple are expecting their second child in September 2026. Lloyd's memoir, When Nobody Was Watching, was published in 2016.

Career statistics International goals Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lloyd goal.

Goals by opponent + Goals by opponent Opponent Goals 12 9 8 8 6 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Total 134

Honors Rutgers University 2x NSCAA All-American 4x NSCAA All-Region Student-Athlete

United States Algarve Cup: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2014, 2018 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 Olympic Gold Medal: 2008, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medal: 2021 SheBelieves Cup: 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021 Tournament of Nations: 2018

Individual Algarve Cup Most Valuable Player: 2007 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year Shortlist: 2012, 2015, 2016 FIFA Puskás Award Nominee: 2015 NWSL Player of the Week: July 2013, July 2014 NWSL Player of the Month: July 2015 NWSL Second XI: 2014, 2015, 2018 CONCACAF Women's Player of the Year: 2015 CONCACAF Goal of the Year: 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Silver Boot: 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Dream Team: 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Goal of the Tournament: 2015 Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year Team Sport Award: 2015 IFFHS World's Best Woman Playmaker: 2015 FIFA World Player of the Year: 2015 FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2015, 2016, 2021 The Best FIFA Women's Player: 2016 IFFHS World Women's Team of the Decade 2011–2020 IFFHS CONCACAF Women's Team of the Decade 2011–2020 National Soccer Hall of Fame: 2025