- Rapinoe set to call it a day
- Currently preparing for her fourth World Cup
- Will retire at end of season
WHAT HAPPENED? USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe has announced she will retire from professional football at the end of the current season. The 38-year-old, who is currently preparing for her fourth World Cup with the Stars and Stripes, will call it a day at the end of the 2023 NWSL season.
WHAT THEY SAID: "I’ve been able to have such an incredible career, and this game has brought me all over the world and allowed me to meet so many amazing people,” she said. “I feel incredibly grateful to have played as long as I have, to be as successful as we’ve been, and to have been a part of a generation of players who undoubtedly left the game better than they found it. To be able to play one last World Cup and one last NWSL season and go out on my own terms is incredibly special.
“I want to thank my family for being by my side all these years. Thanks to all my teammates and coaches all the way back to my first days in Redding, on to college at the University of Portland and of course thanks to U.S. Soccer, the Seattle Reign and especially Sue, for everything. I will forever cherish the friendships and support over the years in this game, and I am beyond excited for one last ride with the National Team and the Reign.”
AND WHAT'S MORE: USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski was quick to pay tribute to Rapinoe. "Megan Rapinoe is one of the most important players in women’s soccer history and a personality like no other,” he said. “She has produced so many memorable moments for her team and the fans on the field that will be remembered for a very long time, but her impact on people as a human being may be even more important. It’s been a wonderful experience to coach her in the NWSL and for the National Team and I’m looking forward to her being an important part of our team at the World Cup.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Rapinoe is an iconic figure and one of the greatest female players ever to grace the game. The 38-year-old has won the World Cup twice with the USWNT, winning 199 caps for the national team and scoring 63 times in an extraordinary career. Rapinoe has also won the Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year, the Ballon d'Or and the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year as well as claiming the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot on her way to lifting the 2019 World Cup.
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WHAT NEXT? Rapinoe will hope to finish her stellar career on a high by lifting the World Cup yet again with the USWNT. The 38-year-old will then return to club side OL Reign for the rest of the season before hanging up her boots.