U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe said her decision to announce her retirement before the Women’s World Cup will help her enjoy and focus on helping the team win a record third consecutive title at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
Rapinoe, who turned 38 this month, said at the weekend that she would hang up her cleats at the end of the NWSL season – bringing an end to a glittering career that saw her help the U.S. win two World Cups and the Olympic gold in 2012.
Gearing up for her fourth World Cup appearance as the team trains in Auckland, Rapinoe said she feels “settled” after having announced her retirement plans.
“Obviously, I’m 38 years old, I’m not going to be playing forever, and it just always feels weird for me to have something settled and feel at peace and to not answer a question honestly,” Rapinoe said, according to the Associated Press. “I kind of wanted to have that for myself.
“I think it allows me to focus a lot more, allows the team to focus a lot more. We don’t have to get questions every time, every single game. It’s just kind of out there, and I can just really enjoy it and focus on trying to win the tournament.”
“I think especially those of us who have been around for a long time, (it) certainly wasn’t like this for all the World Cups that we’ve been a part of our entire career,” she said. “I think we can really see and feel the game growing and the world changing around us.”
Rapinoe is among the six forwards in the 23-player U.S. roster named by coach Vlatko Andonovski. The Americans are in Group E and begin their campaign against Vietnam on July 22 before facing the Netherlands and Portugal.
Rapinoe played a key role in the team’s success at the 2019 World Cup, winning the Golden Ball as the best player and the Golden Boot as the top scorer with six goals.
The same year, Rapinoe was also named The Best FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, the France Football Ballon d’Or and the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.
Having made her international debut in 2006, Rapinoe has 199 caps and will soon become the 14th U.S. player in history to reach 200 caps.
She has played for the U.S. in three different decades and has scored 63 career goals with 73 assists.
Rapinoe is tied with Abby Wambach for third all-time in assists for the USWNT and is one of only seven players in USWNT history with 50+ career goals, and 50+ career assists.
Apart from her sporting achievements, Rapinoe is also known for her contributions off the field – be it becoming a leading advocate for gender pay equity in her national team’s legal dispute with their own federation or using her voice for social issues such as racial inequality and voter rights.
Rapinoe publicly came out as gay in 2012 and has since been an outspoken advocate.
In 2016, she garnered national attention by becoming the first white athlete and first female to kneel during the national anthem in solidarity with football player Colin Kaepernick.
Last year, Rapinoe became the first soccer player to ever receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award.
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