Megan Rapinoe facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

"Rapinoe" redirects here. For her twin sister, see Rachael Rapinoe.

Quick facts for kids
Megan Rapinoe

Rapinoe with the U.S. national team in 2019

Personal information

Full name

Megan Anna Rapinoe

Date of birth

July 5, 1985 (age 40)

Place of birth

Redding, California, U.S.

Height

5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)

Position(s)

Midfielder, winger

Youth career

2002–2005

Elk Grove Pride

College career

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2005–2008

Portland Pilots

(30)

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2009–2010

Chicago Red Stars

(3)

2011

Philadelphia Independence

(1)

2011

MagicJack

(3)

2011

Sydney FC

(1)

2012

Seattle Sounders

(0)

2013–2014

Lyon

(8)

2013–2023

OL Reign

121

(52)

Total

205

(68)

International career^‡

2003–2005

United States U20

(9)

2006–2023

United States

203

(63)

Medal record

Women's soccer

Representing United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2012 London	Team
Bronze	2020 Tokyo	Team
FIFA Women's World Cup
Winner	2015 Canada
Winner	2019 France
Runner-up	2011 Germany
CONCACAF W Championship
Winner	2014 United States
Winner	2018 United States
Winner	2022 Mexico

*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 21, 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 27, 2023

Megan Anna Rapinoe (born July 5, 1985) is a retired American professional soccer player. She played as a winger for OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and for the United States national team. In 2019, she won the Ballon d'Or Féminin and was named The Best FIFA Women's Player.

Rapinoe had a very successful career. She won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She also won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. From 2018 to 2020, she was a co-captain of the national team with Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan.

Rapinoe is known for her creative and skillful style of play. One of her most famous moments was in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She made a perfect pass to Abby Wambach in the last minute of a game against Brazil. This led to a goal that tied the game and helped the U.S. win. At the 2012 Olympics, she scored three goals and had four assists. She is the only player ever to score a goal directly from a corner kick in the Olympics.

Off the field, Rapinoe is known for her activism. She supports many organizations and speaks out on important issues. In July 2022, President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is one of the highest honors a civilian can receive in the United States.

Early Life and Youth Career
College Career at University of Portland
Club Career
International Career
Activism and Advocacy
Honors and Recognition
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Youth Career

Megan Rapinoe grew up in Redding, California. She has a fraternal twin sister named Rachael. She started playing soccer when she was three years old, inspired by her older brother.

Instead of playing for her high school team, Rapinoe played for a club team called the Elk Grove Pride. She was a talented athlete who also played basketball and ran track. She was named an All-American in soccer during her junior and senior years.

From 2002 to 2005, Rapinoe and her sister played for Elk Grove Pride in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL). They traveled two and a half hours from their home to play with the team.

College Career at University of Portland

Rapinoe in her early years

Megan and her sister Rachael both went to the University of Portland on full scholarships to play for the Portland Pilots.

In her first year in 2005, Rapinoe helped the team win the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. The team did not lose a single game all season. She scored 15 goals and had 13 assists. She was named the Freshman of the Year in her conference.

Rapinoe faced challenges with two serious knee injuries, called ACL injuries. The first happened in 2006 and the second in 2007. These injuries caused her to miss a lot of playing time.

She returned in 2008 for her final season. She started all 22 games and led her team with 13 assists. Even though she could have played one more year in college, she decided to become a professional player.

Club Career

Playing in the United States

Rapinoe warming up before a MagicJack match, 2011

In 2009, Rapinoe was the second player chosen in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) draft. She was selected by the Chicago Red Stars. She played for the Red Stars for two seasons.

After the Red Stars stopped operating, she briefly played for the Philadelphia Independence and then MagicJack. With MagicJack, she helped the team reach the championship final in 2011. The WPS league later suspended operations in 2012.

Playing Abroad in Australia and France

Rapinoe with Olympique Lyonnais in 2013

In 2011, Rapinoe played two games for Sydney FC in Australia's W-League. She scored a game-winning goal in her second match.

In January 2013, she signed with Lyon, a top team in France. She played with them for about a year and a half. She helped Lyon reach the UEFA Women's Champions League final in 2013. In total, she scored eight goals in 28 games for Lyon.

OL Reign (2013–2023)

Rapinoe during a match against the Boston Breakers, April 13, 2014

In 2013, Rapinoe joined OL Reign (then called Seattle Reign FC) in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Her arrival helped the team improve greatly. In her first season, she was the team's top scorer with five goals, even though she only played in half the games.

In 2014 and 2015, Rapinoe helped the Reign win the NWSL Shield, which is given to the team with the best record in the regular season. In 2015, she scored her first professional hat trick (three goals in one game).

On July 8, 2023, Rapinoe announced she would retire at the end of the season. Her final home game set a new NWSL attendance record with 34,130 fans. The Reign made it to the NWSL Championship game, but Rapinoe was injured early in the match.

International Career

Youth and Senior Team Debut

Rapinoe played for the U.S. under-16 and under-19 youth teams. She made her first appearance for the senior national team on July 23, 2006.

Due to her knee injuries, she missed the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics. She returned to the team in 2009 and quickly became an important player.

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

Rapinoe (top) celebrates with teammates at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup final.

At the 2011 World Cup, Rapinoe became famous for a special moment. In the quarterfinal match against Brazil, she made a long, perfect pass to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute. Wambach scored a header to tie the game. The U.S. went on to win in a penalty shootout.

The U.S. team made it to the final but lost to Japan. Rapinoe finished the tournament with one goal and three assists.

2012 London Olympics

Rapinoe takes a corner kick in the gold medal match at the 2012 London Olympics.

Rapinoe was a star at the 2012 London Olympics, where the U.S. team won the gold medal. In the semifinal against Canada, she scored two goals. One of her goals was an "Olimpico," a goal scored directly from a corner kick. She is the only player to ever do this at the Olympics.

In the final match against Japan, she assisted on a goal by Carli Lloyd. The U.S. won 2–1. Rapinoe ended the tournament with three goals and four assists.

2015 and 2019 World Cup Champion

Rapinoe celebrates a goal with teammate Crystal Dunn, 2019.

In 2015, Rapinoe helped the U.S. win the FIFA Women's World Cup. In the first game against Australia, she scored two goals.

At the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Rapinoe had an amazing tournament. She scored six goals, including two against Spain and two against the host country, France. In the final against the Netherlands, she scored the first goal on a penalty kick. The U.S. won 2–0.

She won the Golden Boot for being the top scorer and the Golden Ball for being the best player of the tournament.

Final Years with the National Team

Rapinoe played in the 2020 Summer Olympics, where the team won a bronze medal. She scored two goals in the bronze medal match against Australia.

Her final tournament was the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She announced her retirement from professional soccer at the end of that year. Her last World Cup match was against Sweden.

Activism and Advocacy

Rapinoe speaks on equal pay in March 2021

Rapinoe is well-known for using her platform to speak out on social issues. In 2016, she knelt during the national anthem to show support for NFL player Colin Kaepernick and to bring attention to social injustice.

She has also been a leader in the U.S. Women's National Team's fight for equal pay. In 2019, she and her teammates filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation for gender discrimination.

Rapinoe supports many causes, including LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality. She has worked with organizations like GLSEN and Athlete Ally. In 2017, she joined the "Common Goal" campaign, where players donate 1% of their salary to soccer-related charities.

Honors and Recognition

Rapinoe awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden in July 2022

Megan Rapinoe has received many awards for her achievements on and off the field.

Major Career Wins
- FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015, 2019
- Olympic Gold Medal: 2012
- NWSL Shield: 2014, 2015, 2022 (with OL Reign)

Individual Awards
- The Best FIFA Women's Player: 2019
- Ballon d'Or Féminin: 2019
- FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball (Best Player): 2019
- FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Boot (Top Scorer): 2019
- Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year: 2019
- Presidential Medal of Freedom: 2022

Images for kids

Rapinoe after the gold medal match at 2012 Summer Olympics; August 9, 2012
Rapinoe battles for the ball during a match against New Zealand at Candlestick Park, 2013.
Rapinoe poses with the national team and President Barack Obama at the White House, 2015.
Rapinoe at the White House with President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Margaret Purce in March 2021