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Carli Lloyd competed in her last Olympic Games in Tokyo. The soccer legend has represented USWNT at four mega-quadrennial games. After a successfully 16-year career, she will retire from the sport after USWNT’s upcoming friendlies.

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She will still continue cheering for both US men’s and women’s teams from the stands, however. While the USWNT has dominated women’s soccer team for decades now, the same is not the case for the men’s team. Notably, the women’s team clinched the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Whereas the men’s team were disappointed, as they did not even qualify for the mega-quadrennial games.

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The men’s team has not qualified for Olympics after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Looking to make a comeback, the team will compete in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Olympic legend Carli Lloyd sent a motivating message for her fellow soccer players.

Words of wisdom by Carli Lloyd for men’s team

Three-time Olympic medalist and four times Olympian, Carli Lloyd is one of the most successful American soccer players. Although she couldn’t bring home the gold in her last Olympics, she did get the bronze.

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The road to the FIFA World Cup has begun for the US men’s soccer team. Olympic gold medalist Carli Lloyd sent her wishes and words of encouragement to the men’s team.

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Carli posted on her Twitter saying, “It all started now!! One step at a time. Let’s go boys!” She retweeted the post by US soccer men’s team Twitter post announcing the match details. The team’s handle wrote, “1432 days later, World Cup Qualifying is HERE! The #USMNT Opens the #Octagonal tonight” 

USMNT vs El Salvador

The US men’s soccer team went up against team El Salvador to start their campaign for the world cup qualification. Entering the match, the US team was the favorite to win.

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The US were without their star player, Christian Pulisic, and his absence was evident as the team had to settle for a draw in the qualification opener match with a scoreline of 0-0.

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The team will now return to action on Sunday, looking to earn all three points. Team USA will host Canada for their second qualifier in Nashville. Playing at their home ground should serve as an advantage, hopefully, the team USA will have better luck against the Canadians.

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Also read: Megan Rapinoe Silences Retirement Rumors With Stellar NWSL Performance

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Shreya Verma

609 Articles

Shreya Verma is a US Sports Content Strategist at EssentiallySports, with a focus on Olympic sports and athlete storytelling, covering beats like tennis, gymnastics, basketball, track and field, wrestling, and more. A qualified National Level air pistol shooter, she brings the unique perspective of both an athlete and a journalist to her work. Over the past four years at EssentiallySports, she has covered some of the biggest sporting stages, from managing the Olympic Sports desk during the Winter Olympics 2022 to spearheading the US Open 2025 coverage and content strategy. In 2024, she was on the ground in Paris for the Summer Olympics, where she interviewed legends and rising stars, including Carl Lewis, Laurie Hernandez, Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, Quincy Hall, and Grant Holloway, who memorably offered her the chance to try on his gold medal. She also connected with icons and fan favorites such as Tom Brady, Katie Ledecky, Tara Davis & Hunter Woodhall, Andy Murray, Ilona Maher, Kevon Williams, Jonathan Owens, and Neeraj Chopra, while capturing emotional family perspectives from Nellie Biles, Jordan Chiles’ mother, Suni Lee’s mother, and Katie Ledecky’s brother, Michael. Her journalism is marked by authenticity, access, and a deep passion for highlighting perseverance and human connection in sports. Inspired by Olympic champions like Allyson Felix and Vincent Hancock, Shreya continues to carve her path as a storyteller.

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