U.S. socer powerhouse Abby Wambach to retire at end of year

Abby Wambach is going out as a winner.

The career scoring leader in international soccer announced her retirement on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old Wambach scored 184 goals in 252 appearances for the United States, a record for men and women.

"After much deliberation and talking with my friends, family, teammates and our coaching staff, I've decided to finally bring my soccer career to an end," Wambach said in a release. "While we still have more work to do for women's soccer, after bringing the World Cup back to the United States this summer, I'm feeling extremely optimistic about the future of our sport.

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

Wambach joined the U.S. national team in 2001 and ended her international career with a World Cup championship this summer. The U.S. women defeated Japan in the final for their first World Cup title since 1999.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist will continue to play with the U.S. team during its 10-game World Cup Victory Tour that ends in December with four games. Her final match will be Dec. 16 against China in New Orleans.