Olympic Champion Labbe Set to Retire

Stephanie Labbe (35), Canada’s Olympic Gold winning goalkeeper today announced she will retire from playing after the upcoming Women’s international friendly in the Spring.

She had already left her club, Paris St Germain, after the winter-break.

“The leadership, performances and confidence we saw from Steph this summer demonstrates the impact she has on Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach.

“I can’t think of a better way to go out after such dedication to the program than with the world class performances we consistently saw from her on the biggest stage possible to win this country a Gold Medal.

“I know Steph is ready to move onto the next phase of her life and on behalf of the team and Canada Soccer would like to thank Steph for her tireless commitment and what she has done for this country, she will be greatly missed.”

First called-up for her country in 2004, the same year as she began playing in the USL W-League for Edmonton Aviators, Labbe represented Canada at three FIFA World Cups, two Olympic Games and four Concacaf tournaments.

She won a Concacaf Championship in 2010, Olympic Games Bronze Medal in 2016, and of course an Olympic Games goal last year. She also won three Concacaf silvers.

To date she has won 85 full international caps keeping clean-sheets in over half (44), including a new record nine clean sheets in 2021. That helped earn Labbe the runner up spot in voting for Canada Soccer Player of the Year, and a top-3 finalist nomination for FIFA Best Goalkeeper for the 2020-21 season.

Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images

In club football she also played for New England Mutiny before turning pro with Pitea IF in Sweden, It was also in the Scandanavian country where she helped KIF Orebro finish league runner-up in 2014.

Another second-place beckoned, this time across the Atlantic with Washington Spirit in the NWSL.

Another spell in Europe saw Labbe play Champions League football with Linkopings FC (Sweden) in 2018, after which it was back to NWSL where she won the Championship and Shield with North Carolina Courage (2019).

Her last two clubs were both European; FC Rosengard (formerly the women’s team of Swedish giant, Malmo FF) and Paris St Germain for whom she has just recently concluded playing.