Carli Lloyd

Lore & Background

Lloyd was born to Stephen and Pamela Lloyd and raised in Delran Township, New Jersey. She began playing soccer at age five and attended the opening U.S. match of the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup at age 17, which inspired her to play for the national team. She attended Delran High School from 1997 to 2001, where she was named Girls' High School Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1999 and 2000. She played for the semi-professional W-League teams Central Jersey Splash, New Brunswick Power, and South Jersey Banshees while in high school.

Lloyd attended Rutgers University from 2001 to 2005, playing for the Scarlet Knights. She was the team's leading scorer in her freshman and sophomore seasons, and as a sophomore was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies and was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2013. Her club career included stints with the Chicago Red Stars, Sky Blue FC, and Atlanta Beat in Women's Professional Soccer, and with Western New York Flash, Houston Dash, and Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League. She also played on loan for Manchester City in 2017, scoring in the FA Women's Cup final.

Reader's Guide

Carli Lloyd's significance lies in her achievements with the United States women's national team, where she made 316 appearances (second in caps), ranks third in goals, and fifth in assists. She became the first player to score three goals in a Women's World Cup final and the second player of any gender to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, during the United States' 5–2 win over Japan in 2015. She received the Golden Ball, Silver Boot, and Best Goal awards at that tournament. In 2019, she was the highest paid female soccer player in the world. Her legacy includes scoring the gold medal-winning goals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic finals, and winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics. Her memoir, When Nobody Was Watching, was published in 2016.

Did You Know?

• Lloyd scored a hat-trick in the 2015 Women's World Cup Final, the first player of any gender to do so in a World Cup final.
• She was named FIFA Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
• Lloyd made 316 appearances for the U.S. national team, placing her second in caps.
• She scored the gold medal-winning goals in the finals of the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.