Megan Rapinoe is a celebrated American former professional soccer player, primarily a winger, known for her time with OL Reign and the United States national team. A Ballon d'Or Féminin and The Best FIFA Women's Player recipient in 2019, she achieved significant success, including Olympic gold in 2012 and FIFA Women's World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. She co-captained the national team from 2018 to 2020 alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan. Besides her accomplishments with the national team, Rapinoe also played for Chicago Red Stars, Philadelphia Independence, and magicJack in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), as well as Lyon Women in France's Division 1 Féminine. Rapinoe is also known for her outspoken activism.
On July 5, 1985, Megan Anna Rapinoe was born. She is an American former professional soccer player.
In 1999, Megan Rapinoe played for the under-14 Northern California state Olympic Development Program (ODP) team.
In 2019, when Rapinoe won the Golden boot, the entry mentions that she was the second American to do so after Michelle Akers in 1999.
From 2002 to 2005, Megan Rapinoe played for Elk Grove Pride in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) with her sister, Rachael, and future national teammate, Stephanie Cox.
In 2002, Megan Rapinoe played for the regional Olympic Development Program (ODP) team.
In January 2003, Rapinoe had her first camp with the United States under-19 team in Chula Vista, California.
On March 1, 2003, Rapinoe scored her first goal with the United States under-19 team against Mexico.
In May 2003, Rapinoe played at the United States Youth Soccer Association International Tournament in Houston.
In July 2003, Rapinoe traveled with the United States under-19 team during a European tour to the Netherlands and Germany.
During the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Thailand, Rapinoe scored a team-high three goals, including one in the third-place match victory against Brazil. She also played in three matches at the 2004 CONCACAF Under-19 qualifying tournament, scoring three goals.
In 2004, Megan Rapinoe played in the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship, where the United States finished third, causing her to miss playing college soccer that year.
In 2004, Megan Rapinoe was named to McDonald's All-American Girls High School Soccer West Team.
From 2002 to 2005, Megan Rapinoe played for Elk Grove Pride in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) with her sister, Rachael, and future national teammate, Stephanie Cox.
From 2003 to 2005, Rapinoe played for the United States under-19 team, making 21 appearances and scoring nine goals.
In 2005, as a freshman, Megan Rapinoe helped the Portland Pilots to an undefeated season and the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship, earning several accolades including NSCAA First Team All-American and West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.
On July 23, 2006, Rapinoe made her debut for the senior United States women's national soccer team during a friendly match against Ireland.
On October 1, 2006, Rapinoe scored her first two goals for the senior United States women's national soccer team during a friendly match against Taiwan.
In 2006, during her sophomore year, Megan Rapinoe suffered her first season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during a match against Washington State University on October 5.
In 2007, Megan Rapinoe suffered her second season-ending ACL injury two games into the season, leading to a medical hardship waiver by the NCAA.
In 2007, Rapinoe did not play for the senior team due to an ACL injury and subsequently missed the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.
In 2008, Rapinoe did not play for the senior team due to an ACL injury and subsequently missed the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In 2008, after recovering from her second ACL injury, Megan Rapinoe returned to soccer and helped the Portland Pilots secure a 20-2 record. She was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year.
In August 2009, Megan Rapinoe was named to the league's All-Star Team and played in the 2009 WPS All-Star Game against Swedish Damallsvenskan champions Umeå.
During the 2009 Algarve Cup, Rapinoe scored the game-winning goal against Norway, leading the team to a 1–0 victory. The U.S. finished at the top of their group but were defeated by Sweden in the championship final.
In 2009, Rapinoe began a relationship with Australian soccer player Sarah Walsh.
In 2009, upon her return to the team, Rapinoe led the United States women's national team in points with five, including two goals and one assist.
In December 2010, Megan Rapinoe signed with expansion team Philadelphia Independence after the Chicago Red Stars ceased operations.
In 2010, Megan Rapinoe started in 19 of the 20 games in which she appeared for the Chicago Red Stars, scoring one goal.
In 2010, Rapinoe scored four goals in the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
On August 17, 2011, Megan Rapinoe scored in the 61st minute during MagicJack's semi-final match against the Boston Breakers, solidifying the team's 3-1 win and advancement to the championship final.
In October 2011, Megan Rapinoe signed with Australian W-League team Sydney FC as a guest player for two games.
On October 25, 2011, the WPS voted to terminate the MagicJack franchise, leaving Megan Rapinoe and many other players as free agents for the 2012 season.
Following the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, Megan Rapinoe's hometown of Redding honored her with a parade and named September 10 "Megan Rapinoe Day".
In 2011, Megan Rapinoe played at the FIFA Women's World Cup, where the U.S. finished second.
In 2011, Megan Rapinoe's precise cross to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of the FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal match against Brazil resulted in an equalizer and eventual win for the Americans, and it received ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year.
In 2011, during the team's second match of the UEFA-CONCACAF play-off against Italy, Rapinoe served the assist for Amy Rodriguez's game-winning goal, helping the United States earn a berth to the 2011 World Cup.
On February 12, 2012, Megan Rapinoe received the Harry Glickman Professional Female Athlete of the Year award at the 60th annual Oregon Sports Awards.
In July 2012, Rapinoe publicly came out as a lesbian in Out, stating that she had been in a relationship with Australian soccer player Sarah Walsh since 2009.
Megan Rapinoe was featured in the July 2012 edition of Out magazine.
Megan Rapinoe was profiled on the August 6, 2012, edition of Sports Illustrated.
On October 25, 2012, Megan Rapinoe was one of ten female soccer players shortlisted for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award.
On November 10, 2012, Megan Rapinoe was awarded the board of directors Award by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center for bringing awareness to LGBT people in sports.
In November 2012, Megan Rapinoe was the focus of a Fox Soccer feature, Fox Soccer Exclusive: Megan Rapinoe.
During the 2012 London Olympics, Megan Rapinoe scored three goals and tallied four assists, leading the United States to a gold medal. She also became the first player to score a goal directly from a corner twice at the Olympics.
During the summer of 2012, Megan Rapinoe joined the Seattle Sounders Women, playing alongside fellow national team members to prepare for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Her presence significantly boosted team attendance and performance.
In 2012 Megan Rapinoe made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut during the first leg of the 2012–13 quarterfinal against Malmö on March 20.
In 2012, Megan Rapinoe won a gold medal with the United States national team at the London Summer Olympics.
In 2012, Rapinoe achieved a career-best eight goals and 12 assists for the United States.
In 2012, Rapinoe helped lead the United States to a gold medal at the Olympic Games in London. During the team's second group stage match against Colombia, she scored the game-winning goal. The U.S. defeated North Korea and New Zealand.
In early 2012, the Women's Professional Soccer league suspended operations, impacting Megan Rapinoe's career.
In January 2013, Megan Rapinoe signed for six months with Lyon, a French side, for a reported €11000 (or approximately $14000) a month.
In March 2013, Megan Rapinoe was named Player of the Tournament at the 2013 Algarve Cup, which the U.S. won.
Megan Rapinoe was featured on the cover of the March 2013 edition of Curve magazine.
The April 11, 2013, edition of The New York Times featured an article about Megan Rapinoe's experiences in France, with the national team, and coming out publicly before the 2012 Olympics.
On June 20, 2013, Rapinoe assisted Abby Wambach's record-breaking 159th international goal during a friendly match against South Korea. Later, during a friendly match against New Zealand, Rapinoe scored the game-opening goal on a direct free kick and was named Player of the Match.
On July 25, 2013, after scoring two goals and serving one assist during a 4–1 win over the Chicago Red Stars, Megan Rapinoe was named NWSL Player of the Week by the media for Week 16 of the 2013 NWSL season.
After returning to Lyon for the 2013–14 season, Megan Rapinoe scored three goals in her eight appearances for the club.
At the 2013 Algarve Cup in Portugal, Rapinoe was named the Player of the Tournament, despite playing in only two of the four matches in which the United States competed. She was injured in practice and did not play during the final as the team defeated Germany to win the 2013 Algarve Cup.
In 2013, Megan Rapinoe appeared in advertisements for the clothing company Wildfang and began a partnership with medical device company, DJO Global.
In 2013, Megan Rapinoe joined Seattle Reign FC, significantly improving the team's performance and goal-scoring ability. She was named NWSL Player of the Week for Week 16.
In 2013, Megan Rapinoe received the Board of Directors Award from the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.
In 2013, Rapinoe and Sarah Walsh ended their relationship after approximately five years together.
In 2013, Rapinoe became an ambassador for Athlete Ally, a nonprofit organization that focuses on ending homophobia and transphobia in sports.
In January 2014, it was announced that Megan Rapinoe had ended her time with Lyon earlier than planned and would be returning to the Seattle Reign for the entire 2014 season.
In July 2014, Megan Rapinoe was featured in the ESPN's The Body Issue.
In December 2014, Megan Rapinoe was inducted into the Shasta County Sports Hall of Fame along with several other athletes from Shasta County including Ryan O'Callaghan and Ricky Ray.
In 2014, Megan Rapinoe helped the Seattle Reign secure the league's regular season title (NWSL Shield). Despite her goal in the championship final, the Reign was ultimately defeated by Kansas City 2–1.
In August 2015, Rapinoe and Sub Pop recording artist Sera Cahoone announced their engagement.
In September 2015, Megan Rapinoe was ranked by EA Sports as the No. 2 women's player following teammate Carli Lloyd in FIFA 16.
During the 2015 World Cup, Rapinoe stood in silence for the national anthem. She also spoke out against the use of stadiums with artificial turf, its first use in a senior women's or men's World Cup tournament.
Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Megan Rapinoe and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City. Each player received a key to the city from Mayor Bill de Blasio.
In 2015, Megan Rapinoe was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. Also in 2015, she was named NWSL Player of the Week for Week 1 of the 2015 NWSL season.
In 2015, Megan Rapinoe won the FIFA Women's World Cup with the United States national team.
In 2015, Rapinoe returned to the Reign, and during the team's first match against Western New York Flash, she scored her first professional hat trick and served an assist to Jess Fishlock, contributing to the Reign's 5–1 victory. She was named NWSL Player of the Week.
In late 2015, during training for a Victory Tour match to celebrate the team's World Cup win, Rapinoe tore her anterior cruciate ligament. The national team game was later cancelled.
On September 4, 2016, during a game in Chicago against the Red Stars, Megan Rapinoe knelt during the national anthem in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, protesting racial injustice and minority oppression.
On September 15, 2016, Megan Rapinoe continued her protest during the national team game against Thailand. U.S. Soccer then issued a statement regarding the expectation that players and coaches will stand and honor the flag during the national anthem.
In September 2016, Rapinoe garnered national attention for kneeling during the national anthem at an international match in solidarity with NFL player Colin Kaepernick.
In 2016, Megan Rapinoe appeared in television commercials and print advertisements for Energy Brands' Vitamin Water. The same year, she was featured in a Nike commercial starring Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2016, Megan Rapinoe starred with teammates Hope Solo and Crystal Dunn in a docu-series called Keeping Score broadcast by Fullscreen. The episodes follow the athletes as they prepare for the 2016 Rio Olympics and addresses issues such as equal pay and racism.
Since at least 2016, Rapinoe has been involved in the women's team's equal pay complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
In January 2017, Rapinoe stated that their wedding plans with Sera Cahoone were on hold.
In September 2017, Rapinoe and U.S. teammate Alex Morgan were part of a group of soccer players who signed up for the "Common Goal" campaign created by Juan Mata of Manchester United. As participants in the campaign, players donate one percent of their individual wages in support of other soccer-related charities. Rapinoe and Morgan were the first two women players to sign on to the campaign.
From 2018 to 2020, Megan Rapinoe co-captained the United States women's national team alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan.
In 2018, Sue Bird and Rapinoe became the first same-sex couple on the cover of ESPN's The Body Issue.
In February 2019, Megan Rapinoe was featured in Nike's "Dream Crazier" ad with Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Chloe Kim and other women athletes. The ad appeared during the 2019 Oscars.
In March 2019, Rapinoe, along with 27 of her US Women's soccer teammates, filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation accusing it of gender discrimination, hoping to achieve equal pay.
In May 2019, Rapinoe was named to the United States' 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup roster, marking her third World Cup appearance. She scored a goal in a 13–0 win over Thailand. She was named Player of the Match by FIFA for her performances in the round of 16 and quarterfinals.
In September 2019, Rapinoe was recognized as a Reign Legend, joining 36 previous legends.
In December 2019, Megan Rapinoe endorsed Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
Following the 2019 Women's World Cup, New York City honored the women's national team with a second ticker tape parade and were introduced by Robin Roberts at City Hall. Megan Rapinoe and her teammates were invited to the national capitol by Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Nancy Pelosi.
In 2019, Megan Rapinoe became the first openly gay woman in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was featured on multiple covers of Sports Illustrated, Marie Claire, and InStyle the same year.
In 2019, Megan Rapinoe was sponsored by Procter & Gamble, BodyArmor, Hulu, LUNA Bar, and VISA.
In 2019, Megan Rapinoe won the Ballon d'Or Féminin and was named The Best FIFA Women's Player, achieving significant recognition in her career.
In 2019, Megan Rapinoe won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards at the Women's World Cup in France. The same year, she was Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year and was named The Best FIFA Women's Player.
In 2019, Rapinoe scored her 50th international goal on a penalty kick in the 61st minute, helping the United States defeat the Netherlands 2–0 to clinch its second consecutive World Cup championship. She was named Player of the Match, awarded the Golden Boot as the top scorer, and earned the Golden Ball award as the best player at the tournament.
On October 30, 2020, Rapinoe and Sue Bird announced their engagement.
In November 2020, Megan Rapinoe published her autobiography, One Life, detailing her early life, career, activism, and personal relationships. The book became a New York Times best seller and was optioned by Sony Pictures Television.
In December 2020, it was reported that Megan Rapinoe's bestselling memoir "One Life" is set to be adapted as a scripted TV series after Sony Pictures Television optioned the rights.
During the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Megan Rapinoe hosted a panel with frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From 2018 to 2020, Megan Rapinoe co-captained the United States women's national team alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan.
In 2020, Megan Rapinoe signed a contract to be the spokeswoman for international luxury fashion brand Loewe.
In 2020, Megan Rapinoe was included in Time's 100 Most Influential People.
In 2020, Megan Rapinoe won the Best in Sports Shorty Award.
In a 2020 interview on Fresh Air, Rapinoe discussed how her older brother had suffered with drug abuse and had spent time in jail, including solitary confinement. Her brother became involved with white supremacist groups within prison.
On August 5, 2021, Rapinoe scored twice in a 4–3 win over Australia in the bronze medal match of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
In August 2021, Rapinoe was named NWSL Player of the Month during the 2021 season where she scored six goals in 12 appearances for the club and co-captained the squad. The Reign finished in second place during the regular season and were eliminated by Washington Spirit in the NWSL Playoffs.
In September 2021, Megan Rapinoe was one of five hundred former and current athletes who signed an amicus brief supporting abortion rights for the Supreme Court case.
In 2021, Megan Rapinoe was announced as one of the new faces of Victoria's Secret, and appeared in ads for Subway.
In February 2022, U.S. women's national team coach, Vlatko Andonovski, announced that Rapinoe would not be included on the national team roster for the SheBelieves Cup.
In June 2022, Megan Rapinoe criticized the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision regarding abortion rights.
On July 1, 2022, the White House announced that Megan Rapinoe would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
On July 7, 2022, Megan Rapinoe was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor given to civilians, by President Joe Biden in a ceremony at the White House; she was among a group of 17 honorees that included Simone Biles.
In July 2022, Megan Rapinoe received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden.
In 2022, Megan Rapinoe designed her own logo and limited collection entitled "Victory Redefined" in collaboration with Nike.
In January 2023, Megan Rapinoe co-starred in a commercial for ESPN's SportsCenter with Becky Sauerbrunn and Sophia Smith.
On June 21, 2023, Andonovski named Rapinoe to the United States squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia. On July 8, she announced that the 2023 World Cup would be her last major tournament, and that she would retire from professional soccer at the end of the year.
On July 8, 2023, Rapinoe announced her retirement from professional soccer after the 2023 National Women's Soccer League season.
In July 2023, Megan Rapinoe starred in a television commercial for Google Pixel called "Legend".
On July 17, 2023, it was announced that Megan Rapinoe will be one of the players featured in an upcoming Netflix documentary about the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team competing in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
On August 6, 2023, the USWNT was knocked out of the tournament on penalties against Sweden in the Round of 16. Rapinoe was one of the three U.S. players to miss a penalty kick in what would be Rapinoe's final World Cup match.
In 2023, Megan Rapinoe was included in LEGO's Icons of Play set.
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