Rapinoe to play final USWNT game Sept. 24
Written by I Dig SportsMegan Rapinoe will play her final game for the U.S. women's national team in a Sept. 24 friendly against South Africa at Chicago's Soldier Field, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced Tuesday.
Rapinoe will be honored before the match, the second of a two-game series against South Africa. Rapinoe will not play in the first game, in Cincinnati on Sept. 21.
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Rapinoe, 38, announced last month ahead of the 2023 World Cup that she would retire from soccer at the end of the 2023 NWSL season.
The 11-year league veteran and U.S. standout will play her final regular-season match at Seattle's Lumen Field on Oct. 6 against the Washington Spirit.
"People may think that my career coming to an end would bring sadness, but when I think back on the past 30-plus years of playing this game, my overriding emotions are joy and gratitude," Rapinoe said in the U.S. Soccer release.
"It's been an unbelievable ride. It will be special to have this one last opportunity to play for my country in front of our incredible fans and get the chance to thank my teammates and everyone who has had an impact on me as a person and player over the years."
Rapinoe will end her international career with 203 caps. During the recent World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, she became the 14th American to reach 200 games played for her country.
She has 63 goals and 73 assists for the USWNT, ranking in the top 10 all time for the U.S. in both categories.
An advocate for equal pay in women's soccer and supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, President Joe Biden last year awarded Rapinoe the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.