In the NWSL Championship on Saturday, Megan Rapinoe is preparing for her final match with a smile on her face regardless of the outcome. With a remarkable career that includes two Women’s World Cup victories, an Olympic gold, the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the 2019 Ballon d’Or, there are few honors that she has not achieved. The upcoming showdown between Gotham FC and OL Reign presents Rapinoe with a final opportunity to secure the National Women’s Soccer League championship after years of unsuccessful attempts, with the team she has been a part of since its inception.
On Friday, the 38-year-old forward completed her last training session with Reign and expressed her desire to maintain as much routine as possible. She emphasized the significance of not letting the opportunity of a championship game slip by, stating that it will be a lifelong memory for her and her teammates.
The match at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium signifies a transition for both teams, as they seek their first championship title in the top-flight American league. New York and New Jersey’s Gotham FC will bid farewell to defender Ali Krieger, a beloved player who won the World Cup alongside Rapinoe in 2015 and 2019.
Reign captain Lu Barnes acknowledged the incredible legacy left behind by both Rapinoe and Krieger, emphasizing the significant growth of the NWSL over the past decade. The league recently secured a four-year media deal with ESPN, CBS, Prime Sports, and Scripps’ ION network, amounting to a reported record $60 million a year. The announcement of the media deal comes after Rapinoe’s farewell match in Seattle last month, which averaged 683,000 viewers on CBS, setting a new NWSL regular-season record.
Rapinoe expressed her excitement about the growth and success of the league, describing it as “insane” and stating that she is proud to be a part of it. Regardless of the outcome of her final match, she will walk away from the sport with a smile on her face. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Christian Radnedge
