U.S soccer star Megan Rapinoe has announced her retirement to take place at the end of the season when she is 38.
Announcement background: Megan Rapinoe will be playing in her fourth and final World Cup this summer before retiring at the end of her season with National Women’s Soccer League team, OL Reign.
* Rapinoe expressed gratitude for her successful career and believed that her generation of players left the game in a better state.
* Last year, she acknowledged that her age and some sustained injuries were pushing her toward retirement.
Highlighting the career: Rapinoe, who started her international career in 2006, will conclude her career having won two World Cups and one Olympic gold medal.
* She played in the FIFA Women’s World Cup four times and was awarded the Best FIFA Women’s Player of the Year in 2019.
Off the field: Besides her remarkable career in soccer, Rapinoe has been recognized for her activism and advocacy.
* She publicly came out as gay in 2012, becoming the first female member of the U.S. national team to do so, and has been a committed advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
* She famously took a knee during the national anthem in 2016 in solidarity with NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s protest against police brutality and racial injustice.
* Rapinoe was part of a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for unequal pay which resulted in a settlement of $22 million in back pay to the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team.
Awards and recognition: Megan Rapinoe has received several awards and recognition during her career.
* In 2022, Rapinoe received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Biden — becoming the first soccer player to receive this honor.
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