Audacious. Progressive. Entertaining. Thoughtful.
Choosing even a few superlatives to describe the incredible soccer career of Megan Rapinoe — which she announced on Saturday will end after the 2023 season — is a difficult task. She is a legend among legends, even in a United States women’s national team program replete with all-time greats.
Among her on-field accomplishments are a pair of World Cup titles, the second of which saw her win the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player. Most will remember her for that 2019 campaign, which also perfectly summarized her influence beyond soccer. She was a focal point of the United States’ success while shouldering the burden of off-field attacks by then-President Donald Trump (and his millions of loyal followers).
Before the famous performances in pink hair, however, there were the bleach blonde (and brunette) days of Megan Rapinoe — the years of her career that set the stage for everything to come.
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