The United States women’s national team will bid farewell to one of its biggest stars in September as Megan Rapinoe will play her final game.
When is Rapinoe's last game for USWNT?
Rapinoe’s farewell will be a friendly match against South Africa on Sept. 24 at Soldier Field in Chicago. The game is the second of two friendlies that the USWNT will play against South Africa. Rapinoe won’t feature in the first game in Cincinnati on Sept. 21.
The 38-year-old USWNT veteran will be honored before the match to celebrate her becoming the 14th American to ever reach 200 appearances with the national team. The game on Sept. 24 will be her 203rd and final with the national team.
She will continue the 2023 season playing in the NWSL with her club team OL Reign and will retire from the sport all together at the end of the season.
Rapinoe’s debut with the national team was on July 23, 2006, during a friendly against Ireland. She’s had so many iconic moments with the national team over the last 17 years, but I will always fondly remember her last gasp assist to Abby Wambach in the 2011 World Cup.
July 10, 2011: “WAMBAAAAAACH”
Megan Rapinoe to Abby Wambach in the 122nd Minute is still insane. USA beat Brazil in PKs.“That’s what you call USA Razzle-Dazzle!” pic.twitter.com/dwZacxnnET
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) July 10, 2021
If Rapinoe doesn’t score or assist in her farewell game, then she finishes her international career with 63 goals and 73 assists. That would put her 10th all-time in scoring for the USWNT and tied for third all-time in assists with Wambach.
Rapinoe’s on-field accolades are matched with her work off the field. She has been one of the loudest outspoken voices on racial issues in the country, for the LGBTQ+ community and she helped lead the fight for equal pay in women’s soccer.
In notice of her work off the soccer field she was awarded the highest civilian honor from President Joe Biden last year, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
