Credit: Twitter
Ballon d'Or winner and two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe announced her retirement from international football as the USA defeated South Africa 2-0 in a friendly at Soldier Field, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Americans took an early lead in the 18th minute when Trinity Rodman scored her sixth goal for the country with a stunning volley from Alex Morgan's cross. Emily Sonnett extended the lead just after half-time, scoring her second goal with a perfect header.
Rapinoe led the team fabulously, sporting the captain’s armband. Her corner kick directly bounced to Sonnet, who found the net in the 49th minute; however, she was not awarded an assist. Just a couple of minutes later, Rapinoe missed out on a scoring chance from the 25-yard free kick.
The 38-year-old expressed her gratitude after the match and stated that it was an honour to wear the USA shirt and live out her childhood dream. The footballer bid adieu to her long football career, which lasted over 17 years. She even received a standing ovation from the crowd at Soldier Field. She now boasts the record for the fourth-longest career on the USA women’s football team.
In her career, which started on July 23, 2006, there was not much left to achieve. She has won the Golden Boot title, the Golden Ball, and the Ballon d’Or. Her priceless contributions came in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, which were won by the USA by defeating Japan and the Netherlands, respectively. She was also part of the squad that won Olympic gold at the London Olympics in 2012. In 203 appearances for the USA, Rapinoe managed to find the net 63 times.
