Megan Rapinoe is ready for her last World Cup.
The 38-year-old forward announced Saturday that she’ll be retiring upon the conclusion of the NWSL season, making this her final major international tournament with the USWNT. And if you ask Rapinoe, she’s feeling it.
“Obviously from a zoomed out perspective, I’m feeling all the feels,” she said Wednesday. “And knowing this will be my last World Cup, and my final season, just in general feeling really grateful to be here.”
And as she noted Saturday when announcing her retirement, Rapinoe reiterated that she feels at peace with her decision.
“Obviously, I’m, you know, 38 years old, that’s pretty obvious. I’m not gonna be playing forever,” she said.
The opportunity to play in a fourth World Cup is not lost on Rapinoe, who made her first World Cup appearance in 2011 and then won the 2015 and 2019 editions with the USWNT. She’s had a number of great moments on this stage since, including winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player in 2019.
“It’s so special to be able to play in a World Cup, obviously, you know, having been to a few other ones,” she said. “I know that but that feeling doesn’t change. It’s so difficult to make it to the World Cup. … So it always feels like something that’s so hard earned, which I think you know, makes you appreciate it so much.”