Megan Rapinoe, Seattle soccer legend, elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame

SEATTLE — After a nine-hour flight from Tokyo, Megan Rapinoe got through Global Entry at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Thursday morning. Grogginess gave way to “shock and confusion.” A crowd was waiting on the other side of international arrivals, including her parents and twin sister. They came bearing news and rare gifts: In her first year of eligibility, Rapinoe, 41, was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2027, another high honor following a decorated career. They presented her with a ceremonial coin and scarf, the official commemorative gifts for new inductees. kAm“{:<6[ C:89E ?@Hn” D96 6I4=2:>65]k^Am kAm%96C6 H2D D@>6 244:56?E2= AC6A 7@C E96 42>6C2D] #2A:?@6 AFE @? 2 7246 >2D< 5FC:?8 E96 7=:89E[ 2?5 H@<6 FA D9@CE=J 367@C6 =2?5:?8]k^Am kAm$E:==[ 6G6? 27E6C D96 D2H 96C 72>:=J[ :E E@@< 2 >:?FE6 E@ 4@??64E E96 5@ED]k^Am kAm“xE’D D@ DA64:2= E@ 92G6 E96> 96C6[” #2A:?@6 D2:5] “%96J’G6 366? @? E9:D ;@FC?6J @7 2 42C66C E96 H9@=6 E:>6[ ?6G6C >:DD65 2 3:8 >@>6?E] $@ :E 766=D G6CJ 7:EE:?8 E92E E96J’5 36 96C6 E@ E6== >6]”k^Am kAmx? 9@?@C @7 96C 5:DE:?4E:G6 A:?<[ D9@CE 92:C4FE[ >6>36CD @7 E96 $62EE=6 #6:8? p4256>J 5@??65 3C:89E A:?< H:8D 2?5 42CC:65 EH@\D:565 A@DE6C 3@2C5 D:8?D — @?6 E92E H@F=5?’E 8:G6 E96 82>6 2H2J 2D #2A:?@6 H2=<65 FA[ @?6 E92E 46=63C2E65 E96 249:6G6>6?E]k^Am kAm~?6 @7 E96 H:8\H62C6CD[ `e\J62C\@=5 #J6?? {J>2?[ 8C6H FA :? w2H2:ʻ:[ ?@E $62EE=6] qFE #2A:?@6 H2D DE:== “E9:D 9F86 492C24E6C :? @FC =:G6D]” $96 2EE6?565 #2A:?@6’D 7:?2= #6:8? 82>6 2E {F>6? u:6=5 2?5 =@G65 :E[ 6G6? E9@F89 :E H2D D25]k^Am kAm“xE H2D ;FDE C62==J :?DA:C:?8 H96? H6 H6C6 J@F?86C[ 2?5 6G6? ?@H[ :E :D[” {J>2? D2:5] “x >:DD H2E49:?8 96C]”k^Am kAm#2A:?@6 C6E:C65 7C@> AC@76DD:@?2= D@446C 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 a_ab }(${ D62D@? 2E 286 bg] !=2J6CD >FDE 36 C6E:C65 7@C 2E =62DE E9C66 J62CD E@ BF2=:7J 7@C }$w~u :?4=FD:@?]k^Am kAm$96 3=6H 2H2J E96 @E96C C6BF:C6>6?ED[ @?6 @7 H9:49 :D 2E =62DE a_ 7F== :?E6C?2E:@?2= 82>6D 7@C E96 &]$] #2A:?@6 >256 a_b 2AA62C2?46D 7@C E96 &]$] H@>6?’D ?2E:@?2= E62> 7C@> a__e\ab 2?5 H@? EH@ @7 E96 7@FC uxup (@>6?’D (@C=5 rFAD :? H9:49 D96 2AA62C65]k^Am kAmw@A67F=D D9@F=5 92G6 A=2J65 2E =62DE 7:G6 D62D@?D :? 2? p>6C:42? 7:CDE\5:G:D:@? AC@76DD:@?2= =628F6 DF49 2D E96 }(${[ 2?5 H@? 6:E96C E96 =628F6 492>A:@?D9:A @C E96 &]$] ~A6? rFA[ @C 366? 2 =628F6 p==\$E2C 2E =62DE @?46] #2A:?@6 ;@:?65 E96 #6:8? 5FC:?8 E96:C :?2F8FC2= D62D@? :? a_`b 2?5 DA6?E `_ D62D@?D H:E9 E92E E62>] %96 #6:8? H@? E96 }(${ $9:6=5 H:E9 E96 36DE C68F=2C\D62D@? C64@C5 :? a_`c[ a_`d[ 2?5 a_aa[ 2?5 #2A:?@6 92D ?F>6C@FD :?5:G:5F2= 244@=256D]k^Am kAm#2A:?@6 H2D ?2>65 E96 uxup (@>6?’D !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C :? a_`h] $96 D4@C65 eb 8@2=D :? :?E6C?2E:@?2= A=2J[ :?4=F5:?8 ?:?6 :? (@C=5 rFA A=2J] $96 2=D@ H@? 8@=5 2E E96 a_`a ~=J>A:4 v2>6D]k^Am kAm$96 H2D 2H2C565 E96 !C6D:56?E:2= |652= @7 uC665@>[ E96 ?2E:@?’D 9:896DE 4:G:=:2? 9@?@C[ :? a_aa]k^Am kAmp AC:G2E6 46C6>@?J H:== E2<6 A=246 2E E96 w2== @7 u2>6 2E %@J@E2 $E25:F> :? uC:D4@[ %6I2D[ @? pAC:= `e]k^Am kAm“x’> C62==J AC@F5] xE’D C62==J DA64:2=[” #2A:?@6 D2:5] “xE’D C62==J DA64:2= E@ 92G6 E96 #6:8? 96C6[ 2?5 >J 72>:=J[ 2?5 :E ;FDE 766=D G6CJ $62EE=6[ 2?5 G6CJ ‘>J 42C66C]’k^Am kAm“xE’D G6CJ DA64:7:4 2?5 G6CJ DA64:2= E@ C646:G6 E9:D]”k^Am kAm#2A:?@6’D (@C=5 rFA E62>>2E6D p=: zC:686C 2?5 yF=:6 y@9?DE@? tCEK 2=D@ ;FDE 3642>6 6=:8:3=6 7@C 6=64E:@?[ 2?5 tCEK H:== ;@:? #2A:?@6 :? E96 r=2DD @7 a_af] %96J H6C6 2== ?@E23=6 4@?EC:3FE@CD E@ @?6 @7 E96 >@DE DF446DD7F= A6C:@5D :? &]$] H@>6?’D D@446C 9:DE@CJ]k^Am kAm“x 766= =:<6 6G6CJ J62C[ >J 86?6C2E:@? @7 A=2J6CD :D FA 7@C :E 2?5 86EE:?8 :?5F4E65[” #2A:?@6 D2:5] “$@ :E’D G6CJ DA64:2=] ~7 4@FCD6[ 7:CDE 32==@E :D D@CE @7 E96 496CCJ @? E@A]”k^Am kAm~7 E96 aa_ 6=:8:3=6 42?5:52E6D ?2>65 7@C a_af[ e` H6C6 @? E96 !=2J6C t=:8:3:=:EJ {:DE[ `af H6C6 @? E96 '6E6C2? t=:8:3:=:EJ {:DE — E96J’G6 FDF2==J 366? C6E:C65 =@?86C — 2?5 ba H6C6 @? E96 qF:=56C t=:8:3:=:EJ {:DE[ 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 92G6 =67E E96:C >2C< @? &]$] D@446C :? ?@?\A=2J:?8 42A24:EJ]k^Am kAmpD >2?J 2D E9C66 A=2J6CD 2?5 EH@ G6E6C2?D 42? 36 D6=64E65[ 2=@?8 H:E9 @?6 qF:=56C] %@3:? w62E9[ w62E96C ~’#6:==J[ r9C:D (@?5@=@HD<:[ z6G:? rC@H[ %@?J $2??69[ 2?5 z2C: $6:EK >256 FA E96 r=2DD @7 a_ae]k^Am kAm%96 C6DE @7 E96 r=2DD @7 a_af H2D 8C25F2==J C@==65 @FE @? %9FCD52J] |6?’D ?2E:@?2= E62> >2:?DE2J y@KJ p=E:5@C6 :D 2?@E96C @?6 @7 E96 A=2J6CD] s2G:5 q64<92> 2?5 :?5@@C D@446C =686?5 %2EF H6C6 6=64E65 @77 E96 G6E6C2? 32==@E]k^Am kAm%96 #6:8? p4256>J A=2J6CD H6C6 :?7@C>65 @7 #2A:?@6’D :?4=FD:@? 3FE DH@C? E@ D64C64J] (9:=6 E96J H2:E65 7@C 96C 8C2?5[ :7 5:D@C:6?E65[ 6?EC2?46[ E96J >256 DFC6 E96 C6G62= H2D 2D A6C764E 2D A@DD:3=6]k^Am kAm“(6 H6C6 ECJ:?8 @? E96 H:8D[ 2?5 ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE H9:49 H2D E96 7C@?E 2?5 H9:49 H2D E96 324<[” {J>2? C642==65] “xE H2D D@ 7F?]”k^Am