Marta, Alexandra Popp, Christine Sinclair, Kelley O'Hara, and Alex Morgan make way for the next generation

Nothing signals the end of an era quite like five Titans of soccer retiring simultaneously. Together Marta, Alexandra Popp, Christine Sinclair, Kelley O'Hara, and Alex Morgan increased the popularity and elevated the quality of women's soccer. Their legacies are remarkable and unique and their accomplishments allowed younger generations to dream big.

Brazil's Marta is to women's soccer what Messi is to men's soccer. You can't talk about one without talking about the other.

Creativity and skill flow from her in abundance. She's turned the sport into an art form, exhibiting all that the "Jogo Bonito" (beautiful game) style of play encompasses.

She plays and speaks with passion. She's a whirlwind. A remarkably inspirational one. And as she steps away from international soccer, she's arguably the greatest women's soccer player of all time.

Germany's Alexandra Popp is a born leader. She gives off an aura of strength and confidence. She's a powerful force of nature with an eye for goal...a dangerous combination.

Despite being plagued by injuries at major tournaments, she's unstoppable when healthy and ends her international career with 67 goals and gold and bronze Olympic medals among other accolades.

With a staggering 190 international goals that clinched her the world record, it's no wonder Christine Sinclair is the 14-time Canadian Soccer Player of the Year.

She quietly puts in the work and gets the job done. She's simultaneously an individual superstar and a team player. She loves the game and the game has loved her right back.

She's had a long, full career, retiring at the age of 41, and is hanging up her boots on her own terms. What a gift that few elite athletes get to enjoy.

These USWNT stars began and ended their careers together

Kelley O'Hara is the fire in the belly of the beast. Her rough "run through a brick wall" style of play has served her well, leaving many a striker thinking they'd be just fine never having to face her again.

O'Hara knows how to verbally rally the troops and physically lead by example. She's the type to fight until she can fight no more. A mentality that's tough on the body, but deeply appreciated by her teammates and coaches.

Watching her play, you'd think she could go on forever. She hides her chronic knee pain well behind her never-say-die tenacity. But even the fiercest warriors must bow out at some point.

Alex Morgan always seems to be in the right place at the right time. The ball finds her and she finds the back of the net like clockwork. It all takes planning and precision of course, but she makes it look effortless.

Morgan has a list of accomplishments that when read out loud is long enough to test one's attention span, and she's had incredible success in her career while being a mother, a true feat.

She's been a leader in pivotal movements from the USWNT's push for equal pay to addressing varying degrees of misconduct in the NWSL. She's undeniably left the sport better than she found it.

The USWNT's success at the 2024 Olympics is a clear indication that the younger generation isn't missing a beat. They're not just filling shoes, they're bedazzling them with their own flair. But their road is smoother because these soccer giants walked before them.

While Marta and Popp are sticking around to continue terrorizing opponents at the club level, the international stage is experiencing a seismic shift. It's out with the old, in with the new. But let's face it, the old were pretty spectacular.