United States women's national team legend Carli Lloyd announced she and her husband, Brian Hollins, are expecting their first child.
Lloyd, 41, made 316 appearances for the USWNT, second behind Kristine Lilly (354), during which she won two Women's World Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals in women's soccer.
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"It has been a rollercoaster of a journey to get to this point. We are beyond excited to be parents! I couldn't have gotten through this without my amazing husband, Brian. He truly kept me going," Lloyd said in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
Lloyd has been married to Brian Hollins for seven years and indicated in her social media post that she had gone through fertility treatments.
"We are so grateful for all the love and support we had from our family and friends," Lloyd added. "My story is currently a happy one, but I know there are other women who are facing challenges in their pregnancy journey.
"I see you and I understand your pain. My hope is that more and more women will speak up about this topic, because their stories helped me. I also wish for more resources, funding, and education around fertility treatments. There is much to be done, and I hope I can play a role in helping!"
When Lloyd retired in 2021, she was asked why she chose to hang up her boots rather than emulate Tom Brady, who played until age 45.
"Well, Tom Brady doesn't have to have kids, that's the one thing, for starters. My husband, Brian, and I are eventually going to start a family, so the clock's kind of ticking on that," she said.
Lloyd was twice named the FIFA Women's Player of the Year during a 22-year playing career -- the last 12 of which were as a professional. She enjoyed spells at a range of U.S. clubs, including Western New York Flash, Houston Dash and NJ/NY Gotham FC. She also had a brief spell at Manchester City in 2017.
She made her final USWNT appearance against South Korea, exiting the game on 65 minutes with her all-time international goals total at 134.