Megan Rapinoe competed in four World Cup Finals playing for the U.S. National Women’s Soccer League.
Over that time, the United States won the past two World Cup titles and finished 2nd in Rapinoe’s first appearance on the team.
Rapinoe recently announced that she would be retiring from soccer soon, meaning that 2023 would likely be her last World Cup appearance with U.S. Women’s Soccer.
But unfortunately, that appearance was cut short after the women’s soccer team underperformed in the tournament and was ultimately sent home by a 5-4 loss to Sweden, including a missed penalty kick from Rapinoe.
After competing in her last World Cup, Rapinoe was asked her favorite memory from her time with U.S. Women’s Soccer, a career that included two World Cup wins.
But her favorite memory?
According to Rapinoe: “Equal pay.”
“Probably equal pay chance after the final. And I think they were saying equal pay, but I probably could have been saying a lot of things. I think this team has always fought for so much more, and that’s been the most rewarding part for me.
Of course playing in World Cups and winning championships and doing all that, but to know that we’ve used our really special talent to do something that’s really like changed the world forever, I think that means the most to me.”
Rapinoe has long been an activist for women to be paid the same as men, and last year the men’s and women’s teams signed collective bargaining agreements guaranteeing an identical pay structure for national team appearances and tournament victories, revenue sharing, and distribution of World Cup prize money.
