USA star Megan Rapinoe will play in her final World Cup this year after announcing her retirement from football at the end of the 2023 domestic season. But she won’t be the only top-class player to call it a day, with four others set to follow suit. The 38-year-old, one of the biggest stars in the women’s game, made her announcement as she prepares to fly to Australia and New Zealand, where the USA will look to retain their title.
A two-time World Cup winner, Rapinoe also lifted the Ballon d’Or in 2019, but this will be her last-ever appearance at the international tournament as she prepares to hang up her boots for good when OL Reign’s season comes to a conclusion in the Autumn.
As one of the most instantly recognisable players in women’s football, Rapinoe’s exit will be felt, but she is just one of five huge stars who might not be seen on the pitch at a World Cup again after this one.
Brazilian Marta is arguably the greatest female footballer of all time, but at the age of 37, her illustrious career is close to an end. The South American forward has been out of action with an ACL tear for most of the season but has recovered in time to make her sixth and final bow at the World Cup finals.
Marta is the tournament’s record goalscorer and she will need to quickly find that form again if she is to sign off from the world stage in the most glorious manner possible.
Christine Sinclair is Canada’s greatest ever goalscorer, but at the ripe old age of 40 her number is surely up at World Cups. No footballer in either the men’s or women’s game has scored as many international goals as Sinclair and she will get one more chance to add to her tally when she makes a sixth appearance at the World Cup for the Mounties.
She won a gold medal with Canada at the Olympics in 2021, but so far the World Cup trophy has remained elusive to her. She will hope this is her time to right that wrong.
Ex-Tottenham star Alex Morgan is hunting down her third straight World Cup triumph with the USWNT and has been named as co-captain for the tournament. At 34, she is one of the most experienced players in the team and with regular skipper Becky Sauerbrunn and Mallory Swanson both out injured her contribution, in what could be her international tournament swansong, could be more important than ever.
Morgan has not publicly indicated that she will retire, but will be 38 by the time the next World Cup comes around. In the same boat is France striker Eugenie Le Sommer, who has pedigree at previous finals with five goals to her name. The 34-year-old was recently recalled to Les Bleus’ team by new coach Herve Renard and is expected to start up top.
Having just signed a new contract with Lyon, she is not about to hang up her boots anytime soon, but with the next World Cup four years away, she may never get a better chance to lift the trophy than this summer.
After being in international football exile, Le Sommer may not have seen her opportunity coming, but like the four other big names who could be making their final appearance, she will not want to waste the chance.
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