On Saturday evening (in the United States) two-time World Cup champion and women’s Ballon d’Or winner Megan Rapinoe played her last game of women’s football in the NWSL Cup final for OL Reign.
The 38-year-old’s final game ended in disappointment though as she was substituted after just six minutes after suffering an apparent Achilles injury, and her side lost 2-1 to Gotham FC.
However, her legacy in the women’s game on and off the field makes her one of the greatest players in US and women’s football history.
5 clubs prior to 2012 and 11 seasons with one club
Rapinoe’s professional domestic career started in 2009 when she played for Chicago Red Stars, in this time she played 38 games and scored 3 goals.
In 2011 she moved to three different clubs, these were: Philadelphia Independence, Magic Jack, and Sydney FC, During this time she only played 16 games for the three different clubs and scored just 5 goals.
She also had a brief spell at Seattle Sounders in 2012 as well as a good spell at Olympique Lyonnais in France where she played 28 games and scored 8 goals.
The NWSL in America was founded in 2012 and Rapinoe moved to OL Reign in 2013 and stayed there for 11 seasons. According to data up until October 23rd, 2023, in her time with the OL Reign, she played in 117 league games, scored 52 goals, and grabbed 26 assists.
2x WWC Champion and Olympic Gold medalist in 2012
Rapinoe’s career with the USA national team speaks for itself, she has earned 203 caps for her country since making her debut back in 2006.
She scored 63 goals in total for her country and helped her side win the WWC in 2015 and 2019, as well as an Olympic gold medal back in London 2012. Unfortunately, the US was knocked out at the RO16 stage by Sweden at this year’s WWC in Australia and New Zealand meaning she couldn’t add another World Cup to her collection before retiring, so she made her final appearance for the US in a friendly against South Africa in September.
The best FIFA women’s player and a Ballon d’Or winner
Megan Rapinoe has won many individual and team awards during her career, these are listed below:
Securing the US women’s team equal pay and being a role model for the LGBTQI+ community
Rapinoe’s goals and assists at club and national level as well as all her awards will always prove how incredible of a player she was to see play.
However, her work off the pitch in terms of being a true advocate for the LGBTQI+ community and being part of the group of players who fought for and secured equal pay for the US men’s and women’s national teams is what sets her apart as one of the best players in women’s football history.
NWSL commentator on CBS Sports Jacqui Oatley said:
“Rapinoe’s legacy is not confined to the football pitch, neither to the wider world of football. She’s an icon who’s used her platform to promote causes she feels passionately about.
“Even better, she doesn’t appear to care at all about the abuse she receives as a result. On the contrary, she uses it as fuel for her fire which will continue to burn brightly long into her retirement.
“She’ll be remembered most for speaking out on behalf of others. Her supreme eloquence and ability to communicate via a microphone is highly impressive in itself, but the fact that she’s used that platform to speak out in favour of equal pay, and equal rights and to support those who feel marginalised is the most impressive element to her legacy.”
Even though Rapinoe didn’t have the perfect ending to her playing career in terms of getting injured and losing the NWSL Challenge Cup final, she still intends to stay involved with women’s football in some way, maybe a role at OL Reign, the club she dedicated so much of her life too.
Upon reflection of her career, Rapinoe told the media:
“I am just super proud of my whole career and really thankful for all that it’s given me and for how long I’ve been able to play
“Even though it was a tough night, it was still amazing and I’m so thankful to be here and again, so proud of our group
“I know you don’t always get to have the perfect ending. I’ve had so many perfect endings
“(but) you’ll definitely be seeing a lot of me off the field.”
Sporty AF 