Megan Rapinoe was authentically herself, and as she nears retirement, she’ll remain a legend on and off the field for the USWNT.
The picture — like the player — has become iconic. It’s Megan Rapinoe, standing with her arms outstretched after scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win for the U.S. women’s national team over France at the 2019 World Cup.
There is an almost serene look on her face, as if she’d known she would deliver in that moment. Seconds later, she was mobbed by her teammates on the way to a critical quarterfinal win as the USWNT marched toward the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
In that instant, the celebration seemed simple. There was little you’d consider flamboyant or over-the-top about it — rather, there were many emotions wrapped up in that one pose.
There was confidence: This was a team that was on an unrelenting march to a world title and Rapinoe was the maestro, eventually scoring six goals that summer. But there was also a welcoming spirit, inviting the U.S. fans to celebrate right along with her. She seemed prepared to embrace every single one of them.
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There was vulnerability, too — there isn’t anything protective about having your arms wide open — and yet, the stance also conveyed a defiant clap-back at those who felt the USWNT’s quest for equal pay was a battle that wasn’t worth fighting. The pose said: We’re here for good, and there’s no stopping us. Rapinoe and the USWNT would unabashedly be themselves.
« It wasn’t my celebration, personally — it wasn’t just for me. It was that you and nobody will take our joy, » Rapinoe told ESPN after the tournament. « You won’t take our passion. You won’t rob this from us. You won’t take our happiness. We’re going to stand up with a smile, with our full chest exposed and put it all out there. This is what we want the world to be. This is the kind of openness, vulnerability, passion and unbridled joy we want in the world. I felt like I was doing it with everyone and for everyone. »
Megan Rapinoe sits down for an exclusive interview with ESPN and explains how President Trump’s tweets united and emboldened the USWNT.
The game of soccer waits for no one, however — not even a stellar performer like Rapinoe. Now, at age 38, it’s time for Rapinoe to say goodbye, at least to the part of her life of a professional soccer player.
And what a career it has been. Rapinoe currently has 202 international appearances for the U.S. with 63 goals. Her name is etched in two World Cup triumphs in 2015 and 2019, as well as an Olympic gold medal in 2012. Starting in 2009, she has been equally prolific at club level, logging 201 appearances for the likes the Chicago Red Stars, the Philadelphia Independence, magicJack, Sydney FC, Olympique Lyonnais and OL Reign, all while scoring 67 goals. That doesn’t even begin to compare to the extent of her work off the field. For all of Rapinoe’s excellence as a player, the ultimately successful fight for equal pay may well be the most enduring part of her legacy.
On Sunday, that will all come to an end as the Redding, California, native will play her final match for the USWNT on Sunday against South Africa at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Rapinoe, who debuted for the USWNT in 2006, announced in July that she’d retire once the 2023 Women’s World Cup ended. There will still be club games with OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League to follow, and maybe even a final run at a league title. But the U.S. jersey is the one most closely associated with Rapinoe’s legendary time on the field, making the match a bookend to her career.
Rapinoe’s life certainly fills a few shelves already, befitting a player who will go down as the Billie Jean King of women’s soccer.
