“Kind of a Big Deal” – Animated short doc examines highs, lows of Sinclair’s career

Canadian soccer great Christine Sinclair never fancied the spotlight as a player, and that hasn’t changed in retirement.

When plans for a documentary film about her career first came up a few years ago, the thought of having a camera crew follow her around was not appealing.

The opportunity to create an animated short doc, however, did pique her interest.

“This seemed like a doable way to have a film, but also get the story across of my career,” Sinclair said. “But also some of the struggles. Whether it’s on the family side of things, whether it’s equal pay and things like that.

“So it’s just more me.”

Directed by animator Eoin Duffy and narrated by actor Ryan Reynolds, “Christine Sinclair: Kind of a Big Deal,” was released Friday morning by Knowledge Network.

Sinclair, a native of Burnaby, B.C., won three Olympic medals – including gold in 2021 at the Tokyo Games – and spent 23 years with Canada’s national women’s team.

The all-time leading goal-scorer in international soccer, Sinclair participated in six FIFA Women’s World Cups and played her last professional game with the Portland Thorns in 2024.

The eight-minute doc tells Sinclair’s story from her national women’s team debut as a 16-year-old in 2000 through to her record 190th career international goal in 2022.

It also explores some of the highs and lows along the way.

On Canada’s elimination after a winless effort at the 2011 World Cup: “The worst 90 minutes of my life.”

On inequality challenges at that time: “We are female athletes that have been given scraps our entire lives.”

On winning Olympic gold on penalty kicks: “Sometimes the soccer gods are on your side.”

On pay equity: “It had to change. If it wasn’t going to change after we won gold, it was never going to change.”

The long-running effort of Sinclair and others finally paid off last March when Canada Soccer ratified a 2024 agreement that included fully equitable compensation opportunities and benefits for its men’s and women’s national teams.

“Overall the thing I’m most proud of is the change we have created for the next generation of young Canadian girls,” Sinclair said from Vancouver.

Sinclair, who is part of the ownership group of the Northern Super League’s Vancouver Rise, said going over her career with Duffy seemed like therapy at times.

“When you’re on the hamster wheel of being a professional athlete, you’re kind of forced to forget some of the things you’ve gone through,” she said.

The addition of Reynolds took the film “to a whole different level,” Sinclair said. The star of the “Deadpool” movie franchise is also a co-owner of the Wales-based soccer club Wrexham AFC.

“He’s obviously a huge soccer fan,” she said. “And in and around my retirement from the national team, he actually sent me a congratulations video on my career.

“So we reached out, not expecting him to say yes because he’s so busy. But he said yes and did it in a heartbeat.”

The film is available on Apple TV (4th generation), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube via Knowledge Network and on the Knowledge.ca website.

“Our goal was to create a film that felt worthy of Christine’s story: honest, layered and distinctly Canadian,” Duffy said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2026.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press