Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe to Retire After One Last NWSL Finale

Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger both hung up their soccer cleats and retired after the 2023 NWSL season closed. Still, they didn’t leave the game immediately but faced each other off on November 11, with Rapinoe’s team, OL Reign, going against Krieger’s, Gotham FC, in the big league championship finale.

Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger Retire

These two soccer superstars helped the USWNT score World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019. Rapinoe did her last dance in the USWNT uniform on Sept. 24, while Krieger played her final game for the team in 2021.

Megan Rapinoe had stuck with OL Reign since day one in 2013, but they never snagged an NWSL title. On the flip side, Krieger joined Gotham in her second season, and they nabbed the NWSL crown this year.

Rapinoe Exited the Game Early

It was set to be a storybook ending, but Rapinoe’s last moments on the field were a real tearjerker. She limped off with a destroyed Achilles tendon just minutes into the game. After the match, Megan Rapinoe gave a short interview with a walking boot on her foot. She kept it positive and admitted that not every ending has to be perfect.

Recalling many flawless endings, she looked back to 2019, calling it the perfect story for her and a pinnacle year on a personal level and as part of a team.