By Miguel Rapetti
The legendary player Megan Rapinoe will say goodbye to the United States women’s team this Sunday during a friendly against South Africa at Soldier Field in Chicago and spoke about what her life could be after hanging up her boots, hoping to continue closely in the discipline.
For Rapinoe, who says goodbye with an Olympic gold medal in London 2012 and two consecutive World Cups won in Canada 2015 and France 2019, she believes that during her career she helped the growth of women’s soccer but that she still wants to do big things for it.
“I am happy to continue being part of the growth of women’s sports. We are in a special moment, I think I know how to talk about women’s sports. I hope to be part of the business and marketing growth of women’s sports. I want to use my platform, as I have been doing now, but now I will have more time to do it,” said the player.
Rapinoe later spoke about how her image not only served to expand the horizons of women’s soccer, but also to be a spokesperson on other controversial or taboo topics such as homosexuality in sports.
“By far I am most proud of what we did off the field. Just thinking about how the project grew, how we pushed the federation to grow. We were an important part of talking about gay and trans rights, we were a vehicle for this and we believe in this. “We understand what it means to not sacrifice who you are,” she added. .
Rapinoe said that she realized very early on the opportunity that being such a popular soccer player offered her to send much deeper messages than just sports ones.
“I’m looking forward to having a little more open agenda. At the same time it worries me a little. I hope to have more time for myself, spend it with my friends and family, travel a little more, rest. I’m looking forward to allowing myself to rest a little more. I know it’s the end of a chapter but it feels very much like a new beginning. I am happy to see how women’s football will change, I hope to continue being part of this,” she said.
Throughout the press conference, Rapinoe stressed that she will leave football without “regrets”, but in “peace” because she is clear that she has given everything.
“I don’t know if I have regrets, that doesn’t mean I haven’t made mistakes. But I feel like I got the most out of my career, I did my best, I made the most of my talent. I had a lot of fun, I celebrated along the way, that’s why I feel at peace. “I did everything the way I wanted to do it and I made the most of my career,” he stated.
Born in Redding, California, in 1985, with her talent and social commitment she became one of the great leaders of the change experienced by women’s soccer in recent years.
Although in the match against South Africa she will say goodbye to the national team, she will permanently retire from soccer at the end of the National Women’s Soccer League, whose regular season closes on October 15, but her team, OL Reign, has a chance of advancing to the postseason.