Abby Wambach says she’ll decide on her playing future in the coming weeks. (Photo Copyright Erica McCaulley for The Equalizer)
Abby Wambach says she will make a decision regarding her playing future in the coming weeks.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Wambach said when asked about retirement while speaking at the annual espnW summit. “You know, I think in the next couple weeks, a decision will be made. I want to keep talking with my coaches and family.”
Wambach then joked, “I don’t know. I’ll tweet about it.” United States teammate Ali Krieger, also on stage with Wambach, said she would retweet the news.
[MORE: US to end World Cup victory tour vs. China on Dec. 16 in New Orleans]
The world’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 184 goals, Wambach is now 35 years old and will be 36 years old before the start of the Rio 2016 Olympics next August. Her future and whether or not she will retire has been the most pressing question since the United States won the World Cup in July. The question took center stage in the moments immediately following the United States’ 5-2 victory over Japan in Vancouver on July 5.
Wambach was cagey then about the answer and has been coy in the months following about what her future will bring, saying that she would live in the moment of finally being a World Cup champion.
It is widely assumed that Wambach will not play beyond the 2016 Olympics, but it is unclear if she will carry on beyond this year, instead choosing to go out as a world champion and the world’s top goal-scorer, male or female. Wambach decided to forego the 2015 NWSL season and has only played 119 minutes over three friendly matches against Costa Rica and Haiti in the months following the World Cup.
On Wednesday, Wambach also spoke about the progress of women’s soccer and what is next for the game.
“We don’t want to stop working because we don’t want it to ever go away. And the more we work, the more we work, the more we can move this game, sport and women’s sports forward. And so I think as far as my career goes…it’s about the progress that we’ve made. I was scared at the beginning part of my career when Mia (Hamm) and Julie (Foudy) and they all retired. I thought that I was doing the game a disservice and I think I can safely say that that’s not the case anymore.”
The United States women return to action on Oct. 21 and Oct. 25 against Brazil in Seattle and Orlando, respectively. The Americans are unbeaten in 100 straight home matches, dating back to 2004.
