Athlete Ally Celebrates Megan Rapinoe’s Career
July 10, 2023 — Athlete Ally responded today to news that Olympian, NWSL player and Athlete Ally Ambassador Megan Rapinoe has announced that she will retire her career as a professional soccer player after this season.
It’s difficult to put Rapinoe’s impact and legacy into words. Through her career with the NWSL and the USWNT, Rapinoe was the Winner of the Ballon d’Or Féminin and named The Best FIFA Women’s Player in 2019. She won gold with the national team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She was also the first NWSL player to kneel in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.
“Megan Rapinoe is a remarkable athlete, but even more remarkable is her work off the pitch to champion equality,” said Joanna Hoffman, Director of Communications. “In 2013, we first joined forces with Megan when she was one of 36 athletes supporting the Principle 6 Campaign, launched by Athlete Ally and All Out to protest Russia’s anti-gay laws before the Sochi Olympics. In the years since, she has been a fierce fighter for equal pay and trans rights, supporting our #EveryFan campaign, our open letter to the IAAF in support of Caster Semenya, open letter to FIFA calling for increased resources for women in soccer, open letter opposing a federal ban on trans athletes, and numerous amicus briefs in support of trans athletes. Megan has never wavered in using her platform to champion the kind of future we want for all LGBTQI+ youth — one where they are free to be exactly who they are, and play the sport they love.”