Last updated on .From the section Women's Football

Abby Wambach explains why she is quitting football

Women's football's all-time international leading goalscorer, United States striker Abby Wambach, will retire at the end of a World Cup victory tour in December.

The 35-year-old has 184 goals in 252 matches in an international career spanning 15 years.

She was in the 2015 World Cup winning squad and won two Olympic golds.

"It's been an amazing, wonderful ride and I can't wait to see what the next chapter of my life brings," she said.

Wambach was the 2012 Fifa Women's World Player of the Year and is also a six-time US Soccer Female Athlete of the Year winner.

She will be with the US team for all four of its December matches, but her final game will come on 16 December against China in New Orleans as the last match of the 10-game tour.

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"Abby is a player who has transcended our sport and her legacy as one of the world's greatest players is set forever," said US head coach Jill Ellis.

"What she has done for women's soccer and women's sports overall with her amazing talents on the field and her personality off it has been inspiring to watch.

"I am just extremely happy that she could end her career with that elusive World Cup title and go out on top, right where she deserves to be."

In her career, Wambach scored just over 500 goals for her high school, college, professional club teams and the United States youth and senior international sides.