Carli Anne Lloyd, a renowned American soccer player, boasts an impressive career and personal life, with numerous awards and accolades to her name.
Between 2013 and 2014, Lloyd achieved 18 goals in 36 caps with the Western New York Flash, helping the team secure a second-place finish in the championship during the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League. In 2008, she received the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, and in 2025, Lloyd was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Following her participation in the 2020 Olympic Games, Carli announced her decision to retire from the U.S. national team the following year. In 2021, she was reported to be the world's highest-paid female soccer player. In 2016, Lloyd published the memoir 'When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-fought Journey to the Top of the Soccer World.' Carli Anne Lloyd was born on July 16, 1982, in Delran Township, New Jersey, to Pamela and Stephen Lloyd, and she has two siblings, Ashley and Stephen. She began playing soccer at the age of five, and her mother observed that at that point, it was a co-ed activity, and Carli was mixing with the boys. Her mother noted that Carli always exhibited a strong passion for the sport and a natural ability, but she also worked diligently from an early age. After attending the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, Lloyd was inspired to play for the U.S. national team someday. During her time at Delran High School, she was a part of the soccer team and held the position of captain in her senior year, scoring 26 goals. The Philadelphia Inquirer twice named Carli the Girls' High School Player of the Year, and she received Parade All-American honors twice, as well as being chosen for the Star-Ledger All-State First Team twice. She was also named the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Midfielder of the Year and the Courier-Post Player of the Year in 2000. Between 2001 and 2004, Lloyd played for the Scarlet Knights soccer team at Rutgers University and consistently received the honor of being a First-Team All-Big East selection every year, a feat that no other Rutgers student had accomplished at that time. At the conclusion of her college soccer career, she held the distinction of being Rutgers' all-time leader in goals (50) and points (117). During her time at Rutgers, Carli was recognized as the Big East Rookie of the Year, a Big East Academic All-Star, and a Big East Midfielder of the Year, and she was also chosen for Soccer America's All-Freshman Team and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy. Lloyd graduated from Rutgers with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies, and in 2013, she was inducted into the university's Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Carli married golfer Brian Hollins on November 4, 2016, in Mexico. The couple resides in Medford, New Jersey, and they welcomed a daughter, Harper, on October 18, 2024. During her pregnancy, Lloyd penned an essay for Women's Health discussing her struggles with conceiving. After attempting to get pregnant naturally, Carli underwent three rounds of in vitro fertilization. She reflected on the experience, stating that it was a 'waiting game' that left her with little control, and the process evoked a range of emotions, including stress, worry, fear, anxiety, and feelings of being completely out of control. Throughout her soccer career, Lloyd received numerous accolades, including being named the Algarve Cup Most Valuable Player in 2007, the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2008, the CONCACAF Women's Player of the Year in 2015, the IFFHS World's Best Woman Playmaker in 2015, the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2015, and The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2016. In addition, she was awarded the IFFHS CONCACAF Best Woman Player of the Decade 2011–2020. In 2015, Lloyd won the FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball and Silver Boot and was selected for the All-Star Team and Dream Team. That year, she also received the CONCACAF Goal of the Year award and the Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year Team Sport Award. Lloyd was chosen for the IFFHS World's Woman Team of the Decade and IFFHS CONCACAF Woman Team of the Decade for 2011–2020. In 2017, she was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, and in 2025, Lloyd was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.