Megan Rapinoe, double world champion with the United States, will say goodbye to the Stars and Stripes team on September 24 in the match against South Africa to be held at Soldier Field in Chicago, the US Soccer Federation (USSF) reported on Tuesday.
Rapinoe, 38 years old, announced last July his retirement from soccer at the end of the current NWSL seasonin which he competes in the OL Reign.
The legendary American striker will close her stage in the national team with 203 gamesa mark that only fourteen players reached in the history of the country.
As a US international, Rapinoe he scored 63 goals and distributed 73 assists. He debuted in 2006 and made history with world titles in 2015 and 2019.
He was also part of the American expedition at the last World Cup, in which the United States sought to set a record with its third crown.
However, his team was eliminated by Sweden in the round of 16after a penalty shootout in which Rapinoe missed her attempt.
“People may think that closing my career is sad, but when I look back on my thirty plus years of experience playing soccer, my main emotions are joy and gratitude,” Rapinoe said in a statement provided by the USSF.
“It was an incredible journey. It will be special to have this last chance to represent my country in front of our amazing fans. and to say thank you to my teammates, who had an impact on me as a person and a player,” she added.
Rapinoe is also an emblem in the US of the fight for the rights of the LGBT community (her partner is the basketball legend Sue Bird) and has also stood out for her activism in favor of equal pay between men and women.
the soccer player received in 2022 the Presidential Medal of Freedomwhich is the highest US civilian distinction.