This will be Megan Rapinoe’s last ride.
The soccer icon and superstar of the U.S. women’s national team announced on Saturday that she would retire after the 2023 NWSL season and that the 2023 World Championship could be her last.
“I used to be capable of have such an incredible profession and this game has taken me around the world and allowed me to satisfy so many amazing people,” Rapinoe said in an announcement released by US Soccer.
“I feel incredibly grateful to have played for therefore long, to have been so successful and to be part of a generation of players who’ve undoubtedly left the game higher than they found it. To have the opportunity to play the last World Cup and the last season of the NWSL and exit on your individual terms is incredibly unique.
“I would like to thank my family for being there for me all these years. Thanks to all my teammates and coaches from my early days at Redding to varsity at the University of Portland and of course US Soccer, Seattle Reign and particularly Sue [Bird] for all. I will all the time cherish the friendship and support over the years in this game and stay up for one last ride with the national team and Reign.”
The NWSL regular season ends in October.
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The US World Cup opener against Vietnam on July 22 will likely be Rapinoe’s two hundredth, making them the 14th player in the country’s history to accomplish that.
The 38-year-old is set to make history in Australia and Recent Zealand as she tries to guide the United States to a 3rd consecutive world title. Rapinoe won the 2019 Ballon d’Or Feminin as the best female soccer player in the world after scoring six goals in five matches at the World Cup.
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She is also known for her political outspokenness, being the first white and woman to kneel during the national anthem after Colin Kaepernick began protesting in 2016. Rapinoe got here out as gay in July 2012 and was a key figure in the USWNT’s successful fight for Equal Pay.
A native of Redding, California, he will retire as perhaps the most famous player in USWNT history.
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“Megan Rapinoe is one of the most vital players in women’s soccer history and a personality like no other,” USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said in an announcement.
“She created so many memorable moments for her team and fans on the pitch that will be remembered for a really very long time, but her impact on people as an individual could also be much more vital. Coaching her for the NWSL and the national team has been an amazing experience and I stay up for her being a crucial part of our team at the World Championships.”