Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe
Name	Megan Rapinoe
Caption	Rapinoe in 2019
Birth date	5 July 1985
Birth place	Redding, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in
Position	Winger, attacking midfielder
Clubs1	Chicago Red Stars
Caps1	38
Clubs2	Philadelphia Independence
Clubs3	magicJack
Caps3	10
Clubs4	Sydney FC
Caps4	11
Clubs5	Seattle Sounders Women
Clubs6	Olympique Lyonnais
Caps6	28
Clubs7	OL Reign
Caps7	115
Goals7	49
Nationalyears1	2006–2023
Nationalteam1	United States
Nationalcaps1	203
Nationalgoals1	63
Medaltemplates	Country, United States Competition, FIFA Women's World Cup Gold, 2015 Canada Gold, 2019 France Competition, Olympic Games Gold, 2012 London Bronze, 2020 Tokyo

Megan Rapinoe is an American former professional soccer player who played as a winger and is widely regarded as one of the greatest of her generation. A two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and Olympic Games gold medalist, she was renowned for her technical skill, creativity, and clutch performances on the world's biggest stages. Beyond her on-field achievements, she became a global icon for her outspoken advocacy on social justice, LGBTQ rights, and gender equality.

Early life and education

Born in Redding, California, she was raised in a sports-oriented family alongside her twin sister, Rachael Rapinoe. She displayed exceptional athletic talent from a young age, playing soccer and basketball at Foothill High School. Her prowess earned her a scholarship to play collegiate soccer for the University of Portland Pilots, where she was a standout player under coach Garrett Smith. Her college career, however, was twice interrupted by serious anterior cruciate ligament injuries, testing her resilience early on.

Club career

Her professional club career began in Women's Professional Soccer with the Chicago Red Stars after being selected second overall in the 2009 WPS Draft. She later had spells with the Philadelphia Independence and magicJack before playing abroad for Sydney FC in Australia's W-League. A pivotal move came in 2013 when she joined European powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais in Division 1 Féminine, winning a UEFA Women's Champions League title. She spent the majority of her club career with the National Women's Soccer League's OL Reign in Seattle, becoming a franchise icon and helping the team win the 2022 NWSL Shield.

International career

She made her debut for the United States women's national soccer team in 2006. She became a national hero during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, famously delivering a stunning cross to Abby Wambach in the quarterfinal against Brazil. She was instrumental in winning the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada and captained the team to victory at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, where she won the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball. She also won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She earned 203 caps before retiring from international play in 2023.

Activism and public life

She is renowned for using her platform for activism. In 2016, she was the first white athlete and one of the first female athletes to kneel during the U.S. national anthem in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick's protest against racial injustice. A prominent advocate for LGBTQ rights and gender equality, she was a lead plaintiff in the team's gender discrimination lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation. Her advocacy earned her numerous accolades, including being named a co-recipient of Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year in 2019 and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in 2022.

Personal life

She is openly gay and has been in a relationship with WNBA basketball star Sue Bird since 2016; the couple became engaged in 2020. She is a vocal supporter of numerous charitable causes and has written a memoir, *World Class*. She has also been a prominent figure in campaigns for equal pay, featured in documentaries like *LFG* and appearing before the United States Congress.

Honors and awards

Her honors include two FIFA Women's World Cup titles (2015, 2019), an Olympic Games gold medal (2012), and a UEFA Women's Champions League title (2013). Individually, she won the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award in 2019, the Ballon d'Or Féminin in 2019, and the Best FIFA Women's Player award in 2019. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022 and was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year World Sport Star of the Year in 2019. Her club achievements include winning the NWSL Shield with OL Reign in 2014, 2015, and 2022.

Category:American soccer players Category:United States women's international soccer players Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients