A red and white farewell to CanWNT icons, Sophie Schmidt and Christine Sinclair

The GIST: Grab your tissues — it’s time to say farewell to forever friends and CanWNT icons, Sophie Schmidt and Christine Sinclair. The dynamic duo will hang up their international cleats after a pair of upcoming friendlies against Australia, the first of which is tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET.

• In honor of these Canada Soccer greats, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane and reminisce on the worst of calls and the best of times.

Sophie Schmidt: The magnificent midfielder has been a stalwart for 19 years and heads into her final matches with 224 CanWNT appearances — second in team history behind, you guessed it, Sincy. Schmidt (alongside Sinclair) is one of just three Canadians to bring home three consecutive Olympic medals: two bronze (2012 and 2016) and one gold (2020).

• Fed up with Canada Soccer’s poor treatment of its players, Schmidt intended to throw in the towel ahead of this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC), but, experiencing a resurgence in her game, was persuaded by her bestie Sinclair to play.

Christine Sinclair: And then, there’s the Queen of the North. With an astounding 329 caps, six WWCs, and four Olympic appearances, Sinclair will leave the women’s game better than she found it…in 2000. The forward has 190 international goals — more than any woman or man — solidifying her GOAT status.

• Reserved off the pitch but a beast on it, Sinclair demanded the world take notice of Team Canada in one of the best Olympic semis ever: the 2012 showdown vs. the USWNT, where, despite a Sincy hat trick, CanWNT controversially lost.

• Thankfully, the best was yet to come for Captain Canada’s squad, who brought home their first gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Still crying.

The good news: This isn’t the official end. Both Schmidt and Sinclair (who’s a friend of The GIST) will continue to play in the NWSL for at least one more season, competing with the Houston Dash and Portland Thorns, respectively. It’s not a goodbye, it’s a see you later.