History of Carli Lloyd in Timeline

Carli Lloyd is a highly decorated American former professional soccer player, renowned for her exceptional achievements on both the Olympic and World Cup stages. A two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012) and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion (2015, 2019), she also earned two FIFA Player of the Year awards. Representing the U.S. in 316 matches, the second-most in USWNT history, Lloyd ranks among the team's top scorers and assist providers. She played her last international match on October 26, 2021, and retired from professional soccer at the end of the 2021 NJ/NY Gotham FC season.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1966: First hat-trick record

In 2015, Carli Lloyd became the first woman to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final and the first player, male or female, to do so since Geoff Hurst did so for England against West Germany at Wembley in 1966. Only one player has since replicated the feat – Kylian Mbappé for France against Argentina in Lusail, Qatar in 2022.

July 16, 1982: Carli Lloyd's Birth

On July 16, 1982, Carli Anne Hollins (née Lloyd) was born. She later became an American professional soccer player.

1997: Attends Delran High School

In 1997, Carli Lloyd began attending Delran High School where she played soccer under Rudy Klobach.

1999: Inspiration from 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

In 1999, Carli Lloyd attended the opening U.S. match of the FIFA Women's World Cup, inspiring her to play for the national team.

1999: Plays for Central Jersey Splash

In 1999, Carli Lloyd played for the W-League team Central Jersey Splash.

1999: Girls' High School Player of the Year

In 1999, Carli Lloyd was named Girls' High School Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer. She was also named to the Star-Ledger All-State First Team and received Parade All-American honors.

2000: Plays for New Brunswick Power

In 2000, Carli Lloyd played for the W-League team New Brunswick Power.

2000: High School Achievements

In 2000, during her senior year at Delran High School, Carli Lloyd scored 26 goals and served eight assists. She was named the Courier-Post Player of the Year and the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association (SJSCA) Midfielder of the Year.

2001: Attends Rutgers University

In 2001, Carli Lloyd began attending Rutgers University and played for the Scarlet Knights women's soccer team.

2001: Plays for South Jersey Banshees

In 2001, Carli Lloyd played for the W-League team South Jersey Banshees.

2002: Nordic Cup Title

In 2002, Carli Lloyd won a Nordic Cup Title

2003: Nordic Cup Win Against Denmark

During the first round of the 2003 Nordic Cup, Carli Lloyd assisted in the U.S.' 1–0 win against Denmark.

2004: 2004 Nordic Cup

At the 2004 Nordic Cup, Carli Lloyd scored two goals and served one assist while starting in every match.

2004: All-Big East First Team

In 2004, Carli Lloyd was named First-Team All-Big East for the fourth straight year.

2004: Big East Midfielder of the Year

In 2004, Carli Lloyd was named the Big East Midfielder of the Year and earned a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in Exercise Science and Sport Studies.

2004: Plays for New Jersey Wildcats

In 2004, prior to her senior year at Rutgers, Carli Lloyd played for the New Jersey Wildcats.

2004: Olympics

The text mentions the 2004 Olympics where Brianna Scurry started for the USA Team.

July 10, 2005: First USWNT Appearance

On July 10, 2005, Carli Lloyd made her first appearance for the United States women's national soccer team against Ukraine.

2005: Nordic Cup Championship Match

In 2005, Carli Lloyd scored during the championship match against Norway at the Nordic Cup.

October 1, 2006: First International Goal

On October 1, 2006, Carli Lloyd scored her first international goal against Taiwan.

2007: Most Valuable Player at Algarve Cup

In 2007, Carli Lloyd was awarded Most Valuable Player tournament honors at the Algarve Cup after scoring four goals, making her the tournament's top scorer.

2007: 2007 Season Statistics

Throughout 2007, Carli Lloyd started 13 of the 23 matches in which she played. She ranked third on the team in scoring with nine goals and three assists.

2008: Game-winning goal in the Beijing 2008 final against Brazil.

During the Olympic gold medal match against Japan, played at London's Wembley Stadium, Carli Lloyd scored both American goals in the team's 2–1 victory. She is the only player in history to score the game-winning goal in two separate Olympic gold medal matches; her first occurred during the Beijing 2008 final against Brazil.

2008: Game-winning goals in the 2008 Olympics

In 2008, Carli Lloyd scored two goals during the Olympics. She scored the game-winning goal in the team's 1–0 defeat of Japan during the tournament's group stage and another game-winning goal in extra time against Brazil during the final, helping the U.S. win gold.

2008: Named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2008

In 2008, Carli Lloyd was named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year along with Tim Howard. She started in all 35 games she played, tying for the team lead in matches started. Her 2,781 minutes on the pitch ranked third on the team, and her nine goals and nine assists marked her best scoring year on the national team.

2008: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2008, Carli Lloyd won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. women's national soccer team.

2008: Allocation to Chicago Red Stars

In 2008, Carli Lloyd's playing rights were allocated to the Chicago Red Stars in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).

2009: Signs with Sky Blue FC

Following the conclusion of the season, Carli Lloyd signed with her home state club and 2009 WPS champions, Sky Blue FC.

2009: Starting lineup in five games in 2009

In 2009, Carli Lloyd was in the starting lineup in five of the eight games the U.S. national team competed in.

April 2010: Ankle Injury

In April 2010, Carli Lloyd broke her ankle during a match against her former team, Chicago Red Stars, and was sidelined for most of the season.

December 2010: Signs with Atlanta Beat

In December 2010, Carli Lloyd signed with expansion team Atlanta Beat for the 2011 season.

2010: 2010 Algarve Cup Championship

At the 2010 Algarve Cup, Carli Lloyd scored the game-opening goal in the final helping the U.S. clinch the championship title after defeating Germany 3–2.

2010: Broken ankle and matches for United States in 2010

Despite suffering a broken ankle in the fourth game of the 2010 WPS Season while playing for Sky Blue FC, Carli Lloyd played in 15 matches for the United States in 2010, starting 14. She also started all five games at the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament, scoring two goals, including the United States' lone goal during the championship match.

2010: Beating Mexico 4-0 in 2010 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup

The game to win the group and thus play the second place team from Group A occurred between the U.S. and Mexico. The U.S. was previously defeated 2–1 by Mexico during the 2010 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup. This time, the U.S. beat Mexico 4–0 with Carli Lloyd netting her first career hat trick and named player of the match.

2011: 2011 Algarve Cup

At the 2011 Algarve Cup, Carli Lloyd scored three goals including the first goal in the championship match; subsequently named best goal for the tournament. She was also named player of the match for the 2nd time in the tournament, as the team won the cup, marking their eighth title win.

2011: 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

At the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, Carli Lloyd scored the final goal in a 3–0 win against Colombia for her first World Cup goal. Throughout the tournament, she tallied an assist, a goal, and one successful penalty kick in the shootout against Brazil. In the World Cup final, the U.S. went on to penalty kicks with Japan after finishing the game tied 2–2, where Lloyd mishit the ball over the crossbar. The U.S. won the silver medal at the tournament.

2011: Plays for Atlanta Beat

In 2011, Carli Lloyd played for the Atlanta Beat, scoring two goals in ten appearances.

2011: Pressure Makes Us: Carli Lloyd

In 2011, Carli Lloyd was the focus of a promotional feature for Nike entitled, Pressure Makes Us: Carli Lloyd.

2011: UEFA-CONCACAF play-off series in 2011

In 2011, after the U.S. finished third at the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament, they traveled to Italy to vie for a place at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in the UEFA-CONCACAF play-off against Italy. Playing every minute of the series, Carli Lloyd scored three goals with five assists during the series. She also earned her 100th career cap during the second leg of the series.

2011: Prepartions for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

In 2011, the U.S. team was making preparations for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and training starting with the Four Nations Tournament. Carli Lloyd scored the lone goal for the U.S. in the opening match loss to Sweden. In the championship match, the U.S. defeated Canada 2–0 with Lloyd scoring the first goal and being named Player of the Match.

2012: 2012 Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Carli Lloyd scored the go-ahead goal in the 56th minute of the team's opening match against France, boosting the U.S. to a 3–2 lead, with the match ending 4–2. She also scored her second goal of the tournament against Colombia during the group stage.

2012: ESPN feature Title IX is Mine: USWNT

In 2012, Carli Lloyd appeared in an ESPN feature called Title IX is Mine: USWNT.

2012: Second Olympic Gold Medal

In 2012, Carli Lloyd won her second Olympic gold medal.

2012: Olympic Qualifiers in Vancouver

In 2012, the national team opened with the Olympic Qualifiers in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In the first match, the United States routed the Dominican Republic by a score of 14–0 with Carli Lloyd tallying one goal and one assist. In the second match, the U.S. again defeated Guatemala 13–0 with Lloyd again scoring and providing an assist.

January 11, 2013: Joins Western New York Flash

On January 11, 2013, Carli Lloyd joined the Western New York Flash in the new National Women's Soccer League as part of the NWSL Player Allocation.

May 12, 2013: Debut for Western New York Flash

On May 12, 2013, Carli Lloyd made her debut for the Flash during the team's 2–1 defeat of FC Kansas City.

October 2013: Highest-scoring midfielder in team history

In October 2013, Carli Lloyd became the highest-scoring midfielder in the team's history, passing Julie Foudy, after scoring her 46th international goal in a friendly against New Zealand.

2013: Finished 2013 season with Western New York Flash

Carli Lloyd finished the 2013 season with 10 goals and helped the Flash finish first during the regular season, advancing to the playoffs.

2013: Joins Western New York Flash

In 2013, Carli Lloyd was allocated to the Western New York Flash for the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and helped her team win the regular season championship.

2013: Inducted into Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni

In 2013, Carli Lloyd was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

October 16, 2014: Traded to Houston Dash

On October 16, 2014, Carli Lloyd was traded to the Houston Dash.

April 2015: Named to 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup roster

In April 2015, Carli Lloyd was named to the 23-player roster for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. Lloyd captained the team and scored six goals during the tournament, finishing the tournament on a four-game goalscoring streak that spanned the knockout stage and that culminated in a hat-trick in the game's opening 16 minutes during the final against Japan. Her last goal was a remarkable chip from the halfway line.

August 2015: Commercial for Xfinity and a Nike commercial.

In August 2015, following the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Carli Lloyd starred in a commercial for Xfinity and co-starred in a Nike commercial called Snow Day also featuring Rob Gronkowski and teammate Sydney Leroux.

September 2015: Ranked No. 1 women's player in FIFA 16

In September 2015, Carli Lloyd was ranked by EA Sports as the No. 1 women's player in the FIFA 16 video game.

2015: FIFA Women's World Cup Final Hat-Trick

During the United States’ 5–2 win over Japan in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, Carli Lloyd became the first player to score three goals in a FIFA Women's World Cup final. She received the Golden Ball Trophy and the Silver Boot.

2015: Ticker tape parade in New York City

Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Carli 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.

2015: Traded to Houston Dash

Prior to the 2015 season, Carli Lloyd was traded to Houston Dash.

2015: Toxic culture in 2015 World Cup

Since retiring, Carli Lloyd has made numerous critical comments regarding the national team, saying that the culture became "toxic" after the 2015 World Cup victory, alleging that players became more focused on building their brands than winning as a team.

April 2016: Brand ambassador for Lifeway Foods and Heineken commercial

In April 2016, Carli Lloyd was named brand ambassador for Lifeway Foods and appeared in a television commercial for Heineken the same year.

June 2016: Partnership deals with Krave Jerky.

In June 2016, Carli Lloyd joined Michael Phelps in partnership deals with Krave Jerky.

September 2016: Publication of "When Nobody Was Watching"

In September 2016, Carli Lloyd's memoir, "When Nobody Was Watching", was published.

When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to the Top of the Soccer World

Check it on Amazon

November 4, 2016: Married Brian Hollins

On November 4, 2016, Carli Lloyd married golfer Brian Hollins in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.

2016: FIFA Player of the Year

In 2016, Carli Lloyd was named the FIFA Player of the Year for the second time.

2016: Third-round pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft

On October 16, 2014, Carli 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.

2016: Manchester City Wins 2016-17 FA Women's Cup

While at Manchester City in February 2017, they won the 2016–17 FA Women's Cup, with Carli Lloyd scoring in the final.

February 2017: Joins Manchester City on Loan

In February 2017, Carli Lloyd joined Manchester City on loan for the FA WSL Spring Series.

January 18, 2018: Traded to Sky Blue FC

On January 18, 2018, Carli Lloyd was traded to Sky Blue FC in a three-team trade.

2018: Trade to Sky Blue FC

Prior to the 2018 season, Carli Lloyd was traded to Sky Blue FC.

2019: Second FIFA Women's World Cup Champion

In 2019, Carli Lloyd helped the United States win their second FIFA Women's World Cup.

2019: Scored in first two games of 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

In 2019, Carli Lloyd scored in her first two games of the FIFA Women's World Cup; one against Thailand and two against Chile. Hence, she became the first player to score in six straight Women's World Cup matches.

2020: Olympic Bronze Medal

In 2020, Carli Lloyd helped the United States win the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics.

March 2021: Highest Paid Female Soccer Player

In March 2021, Carli Lloyd was named the highest-paid female soccer player in the world.

April 10, 2021: Earned her 300th cap in a friendly match against Sweden

On April 10, 2021, Carli Lloyd earned her 300th cap in a friendly match against Sweden, becoming the third player to achieve that feat after Kristine Lilly and Christie Pearce.

June 14, 2021: Became the oldest player to score for the United States

On June 14, 2021, Carli Lloyd became the oldest player at 38 years and 332 days to score for the United States in a 4–0 win over Jamaica at the BBVA Stadium, beating the record previously held by Kristine Lilly (38 years, 264 days).

August 5, 2021: U.S. women's record for most Olympic goals.

On August 5, 2021, Carli Lloyd scored twice in a 4–3 win over Australia in the bronze medal match of the 2020 Summer Olympics, setting the U.S. women's record for most Olympic goals, with 10 goals in total, surpassing Abby Wambach.

October 26, 2021: Last International Match

On October 26, 2021, Carli Lloyd played her last international match with the USWNT before retiring from professional soccer.

April 2022: Co-conducted the draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup

In April 2022, Carli Lloyd co-conducted the draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

October 2022: Co-conducted the draw for the 2023 Women's World Cup

In October 2022, Carli Lloyd co-conducted the draw for the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand held at the Aotea Centre in Auckland.

2022: Joined Soccer on Fox Sports as a studio analyst

In 2022, Carli Lloyd joined Soccer on Fox Sports as a studio analyst.

2023: Participated in reality show Special Forces

Carli Lloyd participated in the 2023 reality show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.

2023: Criticism of team celebrations

During the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Carli Lloyd criticized the team for celebrating after finishing runners-up in their group, avoiding elimination after being close to losing to Portugal in their last group match, saying, "Players are smiling. They're laughing. It's not good enough."

2023: U.S. Soccer not highlighting the best players

In 2023, Carli Lloyd said U.S. Soccer never wanted her to be the star of the team, stating they often highlight the most marketable players over the best players.