Days before her final game, Abby Wambach sat down for one final conversation about her career.

The all-time leading scorer in international soccer was fired up about fighting for equality, opened up about struggling to "muster that it factor" the past couple of years, and revealed just how emotional she was the day of the Women's World Cup final.

Wambach, who called herself "obnoxious" and "annoying" on the bench during games, will retire after Wednesday's U.S. women's national team game against China.

Julie Foudy: I know this'll be tough, but what one moment over the course of your career stands out the most?

Abby Wambach: What one moment? I mean, Julie, that's a dumb question.

Foudy: That is a great question.

Wambach: It's a stupid question, 'cause there's so many I can't -- you can't put one above another. I mean, they're all so great. I would just probably say the thing that stands out the most is that I actually feel closure. Like, I feel like my whole career has come full circle.

And the symbolism of winning the World Cup and going out on top and not having played as many minutes as maybe I had dreamed maybe my entire -- like, there's just, like, all this symbolism. And I'm glad that I was able to make the choice myself to go out when I wanted to go out. And -- I don't know, I just feel complete. And I think that, for me, the times where I've laughed so hard that I've cried with my teammates, the times where I've cried so hard that I've laughed, like, there's so many amazing moments and memories. And just the game itself, it's created my personality and my character in so many ways. So, those are the things I'll take with me. Of course, it'll be fun to show my kids, like, all the medals and the pictures of how cool mommy was. But the intangible stuff is the stuff that I'll take away with me.

Foudy: Kids, did you just say?

Wambach: Yeah, kids. Kids eventually. I mean, I'm not pregnant now, but I will be. And I'm probably going to get over 200 pounds which is going to be bizarre! Two hundred pounds. Just -- I mean, I'm scared. I'm scared for that day. Although I've atrophied. My muscles are, like, literally withering away.

Foudy: You have three games left, sister.

Wambach: I know. But I'm not working out like I would be working out training for --

Foudy: Step it up.

Wambach: -- an Olympics.

Abby Wambach celebrates after the U.S. beat Japan in the World Cup final. It was the most-watched match in U.S. history. Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Foudy: What was the most rewarding part of it all?

Wambach: That's a better question.

Foudy: Thank you.

Wambach: The most rewarding part of it all. Aye yai yai. I guess I was in search of something. And I think that that's what we're all here (for) -- and that's why we all push ourselves. And this environment's so special. It's like a vortex. Like, everybody in it is in it for their own specific reason.

And there's usually common denominators within those reasons individually -- and collectively. And I think that I've been in search of something. And I think that I realized that I found more than just a soccer player.

And that's always been my goal, is to not just be a soccer player. You know me from playing and I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person, where I just, like, I just train as hard as I can or I'm just pretty much still.

And I found that, more than winning and more than competing and more than friendships and more than traveling and cultures and whatnot-- just this search, this, like, everlasting search of life, it will continue.

And it won't stop when my career is over. And I thought that maybe that was a daunting thing for me that, like, "Well, what am I going to be passionate about?" Like, "Am I going to want to move forward? Am I going to want to do something as passionately as I wanted to do this?" And the reality is, is yeah, it's life.

Foudy: What was the most challenging part of it all?

Wambach: I think the most challenging part of it all was probably the last couple years. I've done a lot of reflection over the last few weeks since I've announced my retirement. And I've realized that the last couple years, I wasn't able to muster that "it" factor that, like, pushed me into the level of one-of-best, to push me into the person that the team relied on to score goals, that pushed me into that -- that next gear.

I couldn't muster it, right? And with that, was my soccer identity. With that, was my confidence. With that, was scoring goals. With that, was so many things that played a role. And it made me question myself. It made me doubt myself. It made me feel a little bit worthless in moments.

And so I think that, like, because I identified so much of myself as a soccer player, and not being able to compete at the level that I was normally competing at and capable of, I think I was, like, a little depressed in some ways over the last couple years -- not just because of my performance in soccer but all of how it played on my heart and all of how it played in who I thought I was.

And so what's been really interesting is that the minute that I said I was retiring, it was like my world opened up again and I was able to breathe and, "Wow, I am not just a soccer player. And I have value. And I am lovable," and all this stuff that, like, just came flooding back, and the confidence. And it was, like, "Whoa! Where have you been," you know? "Where have you been?"

Foudy: Why? Why do you think?

Wambach: I don't know. I just feel like part of me was probably really terrified of saying that I'm retiring, because I didn't know what would happen after. And part of me was really excited. And then I just think that, of course, when people are so scared to change, that if you just put one foot in front of the other, you find that life happens, regardless.

And you either get to choose, like, the positive way of life or the negative. And I don't know, you call it law of attraction, but as soon as I said that I was done and "I'm going to change the world," things have been crazy fun happening to me. I've been meeting the most amazing people on the planet and getting put in these positions that I never thought possible.

I feel very lucky and blessed -- but it's all also about introspection and being aware of where you're at and what you're doing. And to be 35 and to be able to retire and get that time to reflect is actually pretty amazing and a blessing.

Abby Wambach said she struggled to "muster that 'it' factor" the past couple of years. "It made me doubt myself," she said. "It made me feel a little bit worthless in moments." Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Foudy: So what is next?

Wambach: I'm going to change the world.

Foudy: How so?

Wambach: I'm going to change the world, yeah. And that's a good question. I think that I'm still finding, still fine-tuning those details right now. But like I said, like, when you know this -- when you're so focused on something, it's almost like you have blinders on -- and you just have this laser-like focus, like, "OK, everything's about soccer."

So, my whole world, even if it was subconscious thought, was all soccer -- what I ate, when I went to sleep, who I hung out with, how hard I was training, how many hours I was training, what I was putting in my body after training, how many hours I was, you know, like, was I doing my rehab, was I doing any extra work, was I working harder than everybody else? Everything in my life circled around this one central thing.

And so when that goes away, it's, like, "Boom," like, my aperture just, like, went from here to there. I have this ridiculous, amazing perspective right now that comes with all these opportunities and all these ideas and things that I've been feeling and passionate about for so long. And quite frankly, I have been realizing that when you're inside something, it's really hard to gain perspective on the big picture.