Megan Rapinoe, who announced on Saturday that she planned to retire from professional football later this year, rose to fame off the field in part due to her outspoken political views and her leadership in her sport. But much of that was possible because her on-field career was worth so many highlights.
She is expected to reach 200 appearances for the US women’s national team soon. She has 63 goals in her international career and is one of only seven American women with more than 50 goals and 50 assists in international competition.
She was the second pick of the 2009 draft of the defunct Women’s Professional Soccer League and played most of her club career with the Seattle Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League. She won a French title with Lyon, a Ballon d’Or as World Player of the Year and Olympic medals in two colours.
But it’s always been the moments and the creativity of her attack, not the number of goals or assists, that really set Rapinoe apart. Here’s a look at some of her best details.
World Cup 2011
The USA women’s national team finished third at the 2003 and 2007 World Cups, failing to capitalize on the momentum of the 1999 win. In 2011, it faced a humiliating early exit when it trailed Brazil 2–1 in extra time in a quarter-final match.
The game was already in stoppage time when Rapinoe got the ball from Carli Lloyd near midfield. She took a dribble, looked up and shot a long ball towards the far post, where Abby Wambach was waiting.
Standing behind the Brazilian goalkeeper, Wambach headed the ball into the net, delivering what is considered one of the biggest goals in the history of the women’s game. The Americans went on to win in a penalty shootout, though they later lost an epic final to Japan.
2012 Olympic Games
The United States faced Canada in the women’s soccer semifinals of the 2012 London Olympics. Trailing 1-0 in the second half, Rapinoe made Olympic history by scoring what is known as an “Olimpico” – a goal that finds the net straight off a corner kick. She was the first woman to do it at the Games. She then repeated the feat at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
World Cup 2015
In the first game of the 2015 World Cup, a match with Australia, Rapinoe scored twice to lead her team to a 3-1 win. In the 12th minute, after fighting for a disputed ball, Rapinoe made a full 360-degree turn at the top of the box before recovering herself with a few touches and firing a shot from 20 yards out. The ball ricocheted from a Canadian defender and found the back of the net.
World Cup 2019
The USA entered the 2019 World Cup in France aiming to become the first women’s team to repeat as World Cup champions. Rapinoe put on a career winning both the Golden Boot, for most goals (six) and the Golden Ball as the outstanding player of the tournament. But it was her goal against France in front of 45,000 spectators that sent her on her way.
A master of set pieces, Rapinoe stepped up to take a free-kick in the opening minutes of what many expected to be a thrilling and crucial match. She sent one flying ball through the box working its way through the legs of several teammates and defenders and into the back of the net. Rapinoe celebrated by running to the sidelines and spreading her arms wide, a gesture that became her signature celebration and the lasting memory of a tournament where she regularly found herself in the right place at the right time.
Olympic Games Tokyo, 2021
Looking for two consecutive World Cup victories, the US women’s national team headed to Tokyo in 2021 to compete in the Olympics that had been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the quarter-finals, the US and the Netherlands faced each other in a rematch of the World Cup final. The game went to penalties after a 2-2 draw, where it was Rapinoe’s dagger to the top right corner which sent the United States to the semi-finals.