Megan Rapinoe's retirement party has been postponed for now… Photo: Getty Images/Michael Regan
Megan Rapinoe never I wasn’t going to quietly retire from football. Her retirement party was put on hold as the 38-year-old scored twice over the weekend to give the OL Reign a crucial win that saw them qualify for the NWSL playoffs. Classic Rapinoe, she ensured she had the last word.
Her lasting influence is such that her final regular-season home game in Seattle last week drew a record NWSL crowd of 34,130 fans. Some of them wore pink wigs in her honor.
Rapinoe is not only a fan favorite at the club where she has played for over a decade, but her influence extends throughout the world. Where she goes, keep an eye on the headlines. She has led legal action against her own federation, has an ongoing public spat with the former President of the United States, and has even been compared to the late, great Muhammad Ali by one US media outlet. Like it or not, Rapinoe's career will go down as one of the most influential in the history of women's football and sports.
This is largely due to her work on the field. The two goals over the weekend took her tally to 51 goals in 115 regular-season games for Reign, the most in club history and sixth in the NWSL's 11-year history. She won two World Cup titles as a member of the US National Team, scoring in one of those finals, and was named the 2019 Player of the Tournament. She also has Olympic gold and bronze medals.
Former Lioness Jodie Taylor was Rapinoe's teammate in the Reign in 2018, and she remembers her every day as «world class.» “Pinoe mentality, her focus, she’s a smart player. She has an incredible cross into the box and is also a dead ball specialist. I remember that after every training session she practiced free kicks — the same place on the edge of the penalty area, slightly offset from the center, to the left. Constantly hits the top corner. It’s not surprising that during matches she deliberately called fouls in the same place and scored more than 90 points, just like in training.”
As Rapinoe showed over the weekend, she stands up for the most important reasons. Abby Wambach's turning pass in the 122nd minute in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final against Brazil is remembered by some as — to borrow an Americanism — the most exciting moment in the tournament's history. Her penalty in the 2019 World Cup final in Lyon and celebrating with her arms raised and smiling at the rapt audience like an artist on stage was an unforgettable image of the record-breaking event.
Rapinoe's celebration at the World Cup final was not only an indelible image of that tournament, but also an indelible image of her remarkable career. Photo: Getty Images/Maja Hitij
For many athletes, blind focus on their craft is the key to their success. For Rapinoe, working off the field — and what many consider a distraction — has breathed life into her game.
Her social activism will likely be her greatest legacy. An obvious example is her role as a leading voice in Team USA's legal fight against its federation, which lasted six years before finally reaching an agreement last year on equal pay, prize money distribution and working conditions. It was innovative, and their persistence challenged naysayers who accused women of asking for too much.
She was also one of the first athletes to show solidarity with NFL star Colin Kaepernick in 2016, who caused a stir by kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality against black Americans. Rapinoe was criticized by some in the US media and society, but she stood firm and even now will not sing during the anthems.
During his 2019 world title defense with the USWNT, Rapinoe had a public spat with then-US President Donald Trump. After her comments about her intention to decline an invitation to the White House were published belatedly, Trump branded her unpatriotic and essentially told her to continue playing football. She responded by winning the World Cup as the tournament's top scorer and then asking her teammates to support her in turning down his invitation to the White House. He continues to troll her online, goading her back in August for missing a penalty in the USWNT World Cup Round of 16 match.
In an interview with The Atlantic in August, she challenged the notion that she doesn't care about her country. «I think a lot of times it gets lost when people talk about me specifically, 'Oh, you guys don't sing the anthem, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.' You don't love America.» But we love America. It's more James Baldwin than bald eagle on the shoulder.»
Her unapologetic advocacy for the LGBT community of which she is a part has been consistent throughout her career. This includes her support for transgender inclusion in women's sports, which has also drawn criticism, particularly from Martina Navratilova.
After 203 matches and 63 goals, Megan Rapinoe said goodbye to Team USA last month. USWNT Rapinoe will always be a hero Photo: USA TODAY/John Durr
Rapinoe has never shied away from the issues that have bothered her most throughout her career, never choosing to let them rest for the sake of her performance. And that ended up adding fuel to her fire, Taylor says, and may well have been the cause of other athletes' struggles, including the Spanish women's team's recent dispute over better terms with their federation.
“I have never seen Pinoy activism interfere with their soccer or affect the team,” Taylor says. “She handled pressure very well and that motivated her even more to perform and succeed on the field. I think Megan and the USWNT's fight has paved the way and given the confidence to other women and players around the world to have the courage to speak out and take a stand against the injustice, inequality and oppression that they have faced.»
Statement , which they encountered. Taking on all these issues didn't always make her popular, but it certainly made her an interesting figure. In a sports world where athletes' opinions are erased by media training and impersonal messages spread on curated social media feeds, Rapinoe has always been interesting, whether you agree with her or not.
She'll play as at least one more time. in the playoffs this weekend, continuing their latest attempt to add the NWSL Championship trophy to their list of accolades. While that outcome hangs in the balance, the only guarantee for the future is that the retired Rapinoe is likely to get even louder.
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