Canadian Icon Diana Matheson Announces Retirement
By Canadian sports icon Diana Matheson has announced that she is hanging up her boots after an eighteen-year career that has spanned through Norway, the United States, and plenty of different locales while on national team duty.
The 37-year-old old midfielder has been a staple for the Canadian Women’s National Team, for whom she appeared 206 times and contributed 19 goals. She helped Canada to two bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, while cementing herself as a leading midfielder at the NWSL level with the Washington Spirit and Utah Royals.
She now steps off the field as the second-most capped player in Canadian Women’s soccer history, while also having contributed the second-most assists (23).
The Oakville, Ontario-born midfielder stated that lingering injuries to her left foot and knee played a role in her decision, with the veteran national team member having been set miss out on the upcoming Tokyo Olympics as a result of such.
Reflecting on a long and storied career, the 37-year-old recounts her last-gasp goal against France to secure Canada a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games as a career-defining moment, and one that pushed her career into the proverbial spotlight.
Following her strong showing in London, she was announced as one of the first signings of NWSL side Washington Spirit. She appeared in the club’s inaugural match and contributed some 23 league goals for the team over the next three seasons.
A move to the Seattle Reign followed, but a torn ACL saw her miss the 2017 season before being traded to the Utah Royals, for whom she appeared 21 times before missing the 2019 season due to a foot injury incurred while on national team duty.
This year saw her sign with newly-minted NWSL side Kansas City, but ongoing injuries meant she never got to make her debut for the team. When told there was “not much left to do for my abused lucky left foot,” she made the decision to retire.
With her playing career now officially over, Matheson promises that she still plans to help Canada build upon its women’s soccer landscape – particularly in regards to domestic professional football. She plans to obtain her MBA later on this year, and after that the sky appears to be the limit.
The full announcement from Diana Matheson can be found on CBC Sports here.