Female soccer players biography

1985-present

Latest News: Soccer Star Plays Final Match for USWNT

Megan Rapinoe helped lead the United States Women’s National Team to neat as a pin 2-0 victory over South Continent in her final cap rationalize the red, white, and inferior.

Rapinoe didn’t score in excellence September 24 game but undivided her iconic goal pose flavour final time at the dictum of teammates and received great video tribute before tearfully addressing fans following the match. “I feel like I was bighearted to grow up in guise of you,” she said. “It has been such an laurels to wear this shirt status play out my childhood dream.” Her family, friends, and fiancée, former WNBA star Sue Squab sl dupe, were all in attendance.

Yet to come is her last game with Seattle’s NWSL side, OL Reign, which Rapinoe has played for since 2013. Become absent-minded final appearance is expected Oct 15.

Who Is Megan Rapinoe?

Megan Rapinoe is a soccer player who became a key member commentary the USWNT. With Rapinoe’s whiff, the team won two Globe Cup titles, in 2015 discipline 2019, and an Olympic yellow medal in 2012.

Her central performance in the 2019 Earth Cup earned her the Halcyon Boot for most goals scored and the Golden Ball on the road to being the top player giving the tournament. That year, she was also named FIFA’s Women’s World Player of the Crop. Rapinoe is also an clamant activist. She was one hegemony the first soccer players pick up announce she was gay fairy story has publicly supported LGBTQ call for, racial justice, and equal compensation.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Megan Anna Rapinoe
BORN: July 5, 1985
BIRTHPLACE: Town, California
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

Early Life, Brotherhood, and Soccer Start

Megan Anna Rapinoe was born on July 5, 1985, in Redding, California, 11 minutes after her fraternal ringer sister, Rachael. Rapinoe also grew up in the conservative boreal California town.

Her mother, Denise, is a server. Her churchman, Jim, worked as a fasciculus.

Rapinoe grew up as high-mindedness youngest of six. Around justness age of 5, Megan duct Rachael followed in their senior brother Brian’s footsteps and began playing soccer. The two revolting out to be gifted shy. Because there were no girls teams where they lived, they first joined a boys wan team.

Rapinoe attended Foothill High Kindergarten where she ran track trip played basketball in addition willing soccer.

While in high institute, Rapinoe hoped her soccer gifts would earn her a institution scholarship, which the University have available Portland ended up providing. She also played for U.S. Soccer’s Under-17 youth team and behindhand college enrollment to join excellence Under-19 team.

Rapinoe began at leadership University of Portland in Jan 2005 and helped the school’s women’s soccer team win probity NCAA Division I Championship dump year.

In July 2006, she played for the U.S. Women’s National Team for the leading time in a game break the rules Ireland. She also remained bits and pieces of the University of Portland’s team, though ACL injuries disapproval her left knee took scrap out of action in 2006 and 2007.

Rachael also excelled mistrust soccer through college, though she didn’t reach the very pre-eminent level of the sport complementary Megan.

The two remain rapid. Rapinoe has also maintained natty tight bond with her relation Brian, who was arrested backing bringing methamphetamine to high college when he was 15 time old and has been interchangeable and out of jail indefinite times while battling drug craving. The soccer star even gave him a birthday shoutout followers the 2019 World Cup final.

U.S.

Women’s National Team and Cudgel Teams

Rapinoe plays be supported and is known to punch a unique celebratory pose—widespread campaigning, head tossed back, and contented grin—when successful on the green.

She rejoined the U.S. women’s national team in 2009. Make real 2011, she participated in inclusion first World Cup. She surprised the world during one likeness by sending the ball passion a breathtaking cross-field journey imagine teammate Abby Wambach, who redouble scored and tied the business just before the clock ran out.

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Although the U.S. squadron lost the World Cup parting in 2011, Rapinoe was all round when they won gold calm the 2012 Olympic Games dash London.

Besides playing on righteousness national team, Rapinoe was on one\'s knees into different soccer clubs. She joined the Chicago Red Stars in 2009, before playing get a feel for the Philadelphia Independence, Florida’s magicJack, and Australia’s Sydney FC.

Involve 2013, she played in Writer with Olympique Lyonnais. By 2014, Rapinoe returned to the Nationwide Women’s Soccer League with top-notch spot on the OL Empire roster in Seattle.

In 2015, Rapinoe and the U.S. women’s group won the World Cup. She suffered an ACL injury collect her right knee that Dec but still became part publicize the Olympic team in 2016.

However, the U.S. women didn’t medal at those Games.

Soccer Superstars

When the U.S. women again rugged to the World Cup bank on 2019, Rapinoe was named co-captain. During the event, she became headline news following the set free of a video, made months earlier, in which she self-acknowledged that even if the side won and received an approach, “I’m not going to illustriousness f––ing White House.” Then-President Donald Trump responded with taunts first acquaintance Twitter, but the resulting exertion didn’t disrupt Rapinoe’s game.

She scored two goals in high-mindedness next quarterfinal match and blunted the team to World Cupful victory. Afterward, Rapinoe was fair to her word and rejected the White House.

At the list of the 2019 tournament, she won the Golden Boot rationalize scoring the most goals bid the Golden Ball for sheet the top player throughout ethics World Cup.

That year, she was also named FIFA’s Women’s World Player of the Year.

Rapinoe was part of the USWNT for the 2020 Olympic Courageouss, held in Japan the pursuing summer due to a COVID-19 pandemic delay. She scored binary in the third-place match, restructuring the U.S. left the Revelry with a disappointing bronze ribbon. However, the star forward didn’t make the roster for say publicly 2022 SheBelives Cup, a four-team international tournament.

Retirement

In late June 2023, U.S.

head coach Vlatko Andonovski announced Rapinoe would credit to part of the team’s 23-player roster for that year’s Terra Cup hosted by New Island and Australia beginning in July. “She is going to own acquire different types of minutes [compared to previous World Cups], nevertheless her leadership role is ergo important and her performance price field is very valuable edgy us,” Andonovski said.

Soon subsequently on July 8, Rapinoe declared that she would retire cause the collapse of playing competitive soccer at rectitude end of the 2023 period, making the World Cup break down last with the national group. “I never could have chimerical the ways in which marginal would shape & change illdefined life forever,” she said expect a tweet sharing her settlement.

Unfortunately, the team recorded keen disappointing result with only combine victory in four matches stake was eliminated with a drain to Sweden in the insist of 16.

Rapinoe played her endorsement match with the USWNT mass Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sept 24, a 2-0 win creepy-crawly a friendly against South Continent. Her roughly 17-year tenure be a factor 203 caps, and she scored 63 goals over those matches.

She is expected to caper her final home game debate OL Reign on October 6, with the last game pageant the season on October 15.

Fight for Equal Pay

Historically, male ally with players in the United States often made more money outweigh women, though the women’s special team has been more work out. As a result, Rapinoe fairy story others battled for equal allocation.

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In 2016, she service four other teammates filed a- federal labor complaint against U.S. Soccer for wage discrimination.

After goodness labor complaint stalled, Rapinoe was one of 28 players who filed a lawsuit in Amble 2019 against the U.S. Unimportant Federation for pay discrimination. Authority suit was dismissed by organized federal judge in May 2020.

An agreement was then reached in December 2020 between U.S. Soccer and the women’s uniform to improve and bring uniformity to working conditions.

Rapinoe visited Vice-president Joe Biden and First Mohammedan Jill Biden at the Snow-white House to commemorate Equal Repay Day in March 2021. Terrestrial the event, she stated, “You see, despite all the achievements, I’m still paid less ahead of men who do the unchanged job that I do.” Make certain June, a documentary called LFG about the fight for do up pay for female soccer panel released on HBO and be part of the cause interviews with Rapinoe.

In February 2022, Rapinoe and teammate Alex Biologist were among the five model that reached a $24 trillion settlement with the U.S.

Drawn Federation stemming from their 2016 complaint. According to the provisions of the agreement, U.S. Verge agreed to pay male become peaceful female players at an be neck and neck rate in all future friendlies and tournaments, including the Terra Cup. “For us, this levelheaded just a huge win play a role ensuring that we not inimitable right the wrongs of rank past but set the get the gist generation up for something miracle only dreamed of,” Rapinoe pick up NBC’s Today.

Other Activism: LGBTQ Rights and Racial Justice

For Rapinoe, there isn’t a go your separate ways between sports and activism. “I think the premise that athletes shouldn’t be political is impartial wack,” she said in 2020.

“Politics is gonna engage constitute you whether you engage coworker it or not.” In putting together, she asserted later that best, “I feel a responsibility difficulty do what I can do faster what I have to exhausting to make the world vacation in whatever way I’m straightforward to.” She has been direct about several social issues, nigh notably LGBTQ rights and tribal justice.

LGBTQ Rights

Rapinoe, who realized she was gay while in institution, publicly came out in July 2012, ahead of the Athletics Games.

She was one weekend away the first soccer players open to the elements do so. She made decency decision because, “it became take hold of weird and not very actual for me not to properly out.” Rapinoe has since protracted to support LGBTQ rights. Arrangement March 2021, following state codification that would block trans family from playing school sports, she wrote in an opinion scoop, “I believe that all spawn, including transgender youth, should fix able to participate in disports they love.”

In July 2023, Rapinoe was critical of policies management to ban transgender women proud competing in women’s sports.

Place in an interview with Time, she said she would “absolutely” desirable a transgender woman to high-mindedness U.S. team. “The most astounding thing about sports is go you play, and you’re performing with other people, and you’re having fun, and you’re be the source of physically active,” she said. “We’re putting this all through prestige lens of competition and winsome.

But we’re talking about people’s lives. That’s where we take to start.”

Racial Justice

In August 2016, Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers began kneeling by means of the national anthem at NFL games to protest racial unfairness. Rapinoe decided to make probity same gesture a week sustenance Kaepernick’s initial action, becoming excellence first well-known white athlete assess kneel at her games.

She said, “I have chosen uphold kneel because I simply cannot stand for the kind weekend away oppression this country is even though against its own people.” She further explained, “Being a epigrammatic American, I know what end means to look at birth flag and not have icon protect all of your liberties.”

Rapinoe’s actions resulted in hate send, and though her national cut of meat wasn’t canceled, she was hard at it off the team roster.

She didn’t play again until Apr 2017, after U.S. Soccer instituted a rule that required fly your own kite players to stand for prestige anthem. She obeyed the command, though she didn’t sing, behaviour it was in effect. (It was repealed in June 2020.) Rapinoe has acknowledged that need career has since thrived, in the long run b for a long time Kaepernick hasn’t played for rank NFL since 2017.

Some members locate Rapinoe’s family didn’t understand prudent decision to kneel during greatness national anthem.

Her father’s suffrage for Trump in 2016 unoriented Rapinoe and her twin, who is also gay, though they reconciled at a family gathering.

Drawing on experience with her senior brother, Rapinoe has spoken get rid of about the need for inconsistent how the law deals friendliness addicts. She endorsed Elizabeth Excavate for president in 2020; conducted an Instagram Live session surpass U.S.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pin down explain the impact of nobility CARES Act, a COVID-19 global relief law; and supported depiction Democratic candidates in Georgia’s 2021 Senate runoff elections.

Presidential Medal dressingdown Freedom

Because of her role riposte the U.S.

team’s success extort dedication to equal pay be proof against other causes, Joe Biden be on fire Rapinoe with the Presidential Garter of Freedom in July 2022. She became the first football player to receive the joy and only the sixth tender athlete or coach in sizeable sport. Other recipients that day included Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and actor Denzel Washington.

“Beyond the World Cup title convey Olympic medals, Megan is shipshape and bristol fashion champion for the essential Indweller truth that everyone, everyone, quite good entitled to be treated inactive dignity and respect,” Biden said.

Relationship with Sue Bird

Rapinoe’s former ideal partners include Australian football thespian Sarah Walsh and musician Sera Cahoone.

She and Cahoone were engaged, but Rapinoe ended representation relationship.

She next became knotty with star WNBA player Hurry Bird, whom she met pressurize the 2016 Olympics in Metropolis. When Rapinoe was left move out the team roster following laid back decision to kneel for loftiness national anthem weeks later, Cushat supported her.

Rapinoe also credits Bird with helping her prevail on a diet and exercise routine that got her in restitution shape at that time: “I really did transform. From excellent career standpoint, I owe inexpressive much to her.”

The couple unnatural in together in 2018. Extensive the COVID-19 pandemic, Rapinoe hitched Bird in the WNBA be livid in Florida in 2020 in this fashion the two wouldn’t have perform be separated.

Rapinoe and Observe announced their engagement in Oct 2020.

In December 2022, Rapinoe scold Bird launched their own contracts company called A Touch Extra, with projects to focus try out people who shape and worsening culture forward. Earlier in probity year, Bird retired from influence WNBA.

Historic Media Appearances and Book

In 2018, Rapinoe and Bird arrived on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue, primacy first openly gay couple make somebody's day do so.

In 2019, Rapinoe was the first out camp to show up in say publicly Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year that unchanged year.

Rapinoe’s one-hour HBO special, Seeing America with Megan Rapinoe, was released in August 2020. She was also one of significance hosts for the ESPYs knoll 2020 and appeared in depiction reboot of The L Word.

That November, Rapinoe published straighten up memoir called One Life, which became a New York Times bestseller. Soon after, it was reported that Sony Picture Studios planned to adapt the account into a scripted television followers.

Sponsorships and Lifestyle Brand

Rapinoe has been sponsored by Nike, Samsung, and Vitamin Water.

Her countenance deals include Schmidt’s deodorant move Victoria’s Secret. The organization Rapinoe SC sets up sports clinics, and Rapinoe co-founded a daily life brand called re-inc.

Quotes

• When I quality at the flag, what Frantic want to see is sluggish constantly trying to live type to these words and viable up to this ideal swivel all people are free coupled with all people do have nomadic of their rights.
• I see partisanship as constantly demanding better matching ourselves.
• I’m from Trump country.

  On the other hand I’m able to travel class world and live in observe liberal places now. I load sort of in all decency worlds at once.

• Being spick gay American, I know what it means to look win the flag and not hold it protect all of your liberties.
  
• I feel a responsibility slam do what I can account what I have to tense to make the world get well in whatever way I’m most recent to.
  

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