Goodbye Rapinoe, the superhero of soccer’s rebellion

Shortly after the last seconds ticked off the clock, fans formed a thick line that bent around the field and stretched nearly 150 yards long, waiting eagerly for Rapinoe.

"Megan, we love you!" chanted a group of women. "Megan! Megan!"

"Megan, you're my hero!" a man yelled.

When she netted the first of her two goals in USWNT's 2-1 victory over France in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Women's World Cup, on a cunning and elusive free kick, a 34-year-old Megan Rapinoe ran to the corner of the field and held her arms aloft.

That gesture of hers seemed to suggest, ‘This is all of me, take me for the bold, complex person that I am: big personality, social activist, champion of equal pay, presidential critic, lavender-haired soccer star of ruthless and creative purpose'.

Out, and out front, Rapinoe, now 38, has perhaps become the representative athlete of recent times, wearing the jersey of a nation that is divided, playing for a team that is not, fearless and unapologetic about demanding excellence from herself and fair and equitable treatment by others. All in one.

When things go wrong, you want Rapinoe on your team. And when things go right, she is often the driving force, the source of some of the sweetest crosses and most accurate corners ever witnessed in this beautiful game. How do you go on to define a career and a legacy that will extend far beyond what the US has achieved on the pitch? For a fan, it is simple: ‘Megan Rapinoe is US soccer.'

Yet her last World Cup assignment ended on an unfamiliar footing. A penalty kick skied over the crossbar, shock and disappointment followed, then a rueful smile to herself. But even with the disappointing conclusion, she was grateful for her wildly successful run with the U.S. national team.

Rapinoe's World Cup career ended on Sunday in the Round of 16 when the United States lost to Sweden on penalties after a scoreless draw. The outspoken 38-year-old announced last month that this would be her last international tournament.

But no matter how Rapinoe fared at the tournament, she has already secured her place as one of the world's most influential athletes. Her creative and joyful play helped elevate women's soccer to the status of appointment viewing.

"I wish we were moving on and I could guarantee a championship and all that," she said. "But it doesn't take anything from this experience, or my career in general. I feel so lucky and so grateful to play as long as I have, and to be on the successful teams that I have."

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Known for her bright hair colours, Rapinoe teared up as she spoke to reporters after the match. She missed her penalty kick, as did teammates Kelley O'Hara and Sophia Smith. "I'm ready in a lot of ways to be done," she said. "I feel at peace with that. So, it's sad but I'm OK."

At this World Cup, Rapinoe had taken on more of a reserve role. She made her 200th appearance with the team as a substitute in a 3-0 victory over Vietnam to open the tournament. She was also a sub in the final group match against Portugal, a disappointing scoreless draw. After the loss to Sweden, captain Lindsey Horan and defender Julie Ertz were among those who embraced Rapinoe on the field.

"I just said I love her," Horan said, welling up. "It's been a journey with her," Ertz said. "She's been an incredible player for so long. I just wanted to make sure I was able to tell her that."

It was the team's earliest exit from the World Cup. The United States won the last two tournaments and four overalls, most by any nation. The team had never finished lower than third.

At the 2019 World Cup in France, Rapinoe scored six goals, including a penalty in a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final. She also finished with three assists and claimed both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for the best overall player.

Her victory pose, arms outstretched, became one of the iconic images of the dominant U.S. run.

Rapinoe also led the U.S. women's long fight for equal pay with their male national team counterparts. Both teams reached contracts with U.S. Soccer last year that paid them equally and split tournament prize money.

As a fierce advocate for social justice issues, including gender equity and LGBTQ rights, she was awarded the nation's highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Joe Biden last year.

After joining the national team in 2006, she finished her international career with two Women's World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal. She also won the Ballon d'Or and the Best FIFA Women's Player awards - the game's top individual honours - for her play in 2019.

"I don't think there are enough words to talk about Megan and her impact on this sport," forward Lynn Williams said. "From equality to human rights, the list goes on and on. So that's going to sting a little bit, not to see her on this team and wearing the crest anymore.

"I can't wait to see what she's going to do in her next life, her next career."

At her final World Cup, Rapinoe was the elder stateswoman on a team that had 14 players appearing for the first time in the tournament. Like former teammates Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd, she now will step aside to make way for the next generation. Rapinoe is not necessarily done with soccer. She has said she will play out the season with her club team, OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League. She may say goodbye to fans back home in a few more U.S. matches to wrap up the year.

But her tournament days are over. In her 202 overall appearances for the United States, she has scored 63 goals.

"I feel really proud, really proud of this team, really proud of all the players I've played with. I've just loved every moment of my career," she said. "I'll just miss it to death, but it also feels like the right time. And that's OK."

Whatever Rapinoe does, do not expect her to fade away. Hear it from the horse's mouth.

"I have this incredible privilege and platform and hope that I can turn that into rocket fuel for the next phase of everything," she says. "I want to make the world a better place. And I will pull that lever slowly, relentlessly, and ruthlessly, forever."