US Soccer Icon Megan Rapinoe to Retire After 2023 Women's World Cup, NWSL Season
Megan Rapinoe is going to call it a career after the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and National Women's Soccer League season.
The two-time World Cup champion made the announcement at a press conference on Saturday.
In the wake of Rapinoe's announcement, OL Reign announced a celebration of her career during the club's final home game on Oct. 6 against the Washington Spirit.
Rapinoe has talked about retirement in the past, most notably last year when speaking to ESPN's Jeff Kassouf about some of the personal frustrations she was having due to a series of injuries that were keeping her off the field.
The U.S. soccer icon credited her fiancée, WNBA legend Sue Bird, with talking her out of walking away.
"I think being able to have someone who intimately knows what it means when I say, 'I want to retire right now I'm so frustrated,' it may not actually mean that," Rapinoe said. "It actually means a lot of different things. So, being able to be there for her, and her be there for me, is the greatest gift ever."
Rapinoe was named to Team USA's roster for the 2023 World Cup. This will be her fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament. She will be looking for her third straight win after victories in 2015 and 2019.
In addition to her World Cup success, Rapinoe has a gold and bronze Olympic medal with the U.S. national team. She scored two goals in the second half of Team USA's 4-3 win over Canada in the 2012 Olympic semifinal.
Rapinoe joined the Reign in 2013 for the inaugural NWSL season. She's appeared in 109 matches and scored 48 goals with 25 assists.
Team USA opens the 2023 World Cup against Vietnam on July 21 at 9 p.m. ET.
