The Canadian female striker missed the opportunity to monopolize Ronaldo's record
On the Melbourne pitch, Christine Sinclair wore the captain's armband and started in the opening match against Canada against Nigeria in Group B. In the 9th minute, she received the ball in the box, but shot wide of the goal in an empty position.
The best situation for Sinclair came in the 49th minute, when she herself earned the penalty. But the 40-year-old striker could not beat goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie with a shot that sank into the right corner from the spot. In the 70th minute, Sinclair left the field to make way for junior Sophie Schmidt and left many regrets.
Missing this match, Sinclair missed the opportunity to become the first player to score in six consecutive World Cups. Currently, she shares the five-time scoring record with Brazil's Marta in the women's and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in the men's.
Sinclair and Marta, who both scored between the 2003 and 2019 World Cups, can still break records when they attend tournaments in Australia and New Zealand this year. Meanwhile, Ronaldo scored from 2006 to 2022, and there is little chance of improving his performance, because he is 38 years old and will turn 41 when the 2026 World Cup takes place in North America.
Sinclair is currently the top scorer for the national team with 190 goals, including 10 at the Women's World Cup. Missing the scoring record, Sinlair still broke the age record when becoming the first female player over 40 to compete in the World Cup. The men's record belongs to Cameroon player Roger Milla, with 42 years and 39 days.
Sinclair's missed opportunities caused the 2021 Olympic champion Canada to be held to a 0-0 draw by Nigeria in the opening match. Canada held the ball 70%, shot 10 shots against 7 of the opponent, but could not penetrate the tight Nigerian defense.
The match also recorded the first red card at the 2023 World Cup, belonging to Nigeria. In the 7th minute, Deborah Abiodun stepped on Ashley Lawrence's foot and received a red card directly after the referee consulted VAR.
