We’re Still in Awe of Megan Rapinoe’s Fierce Photos From Her SI Swim Feature

The athlete was a force on the beaches of St. Lucia in 2019, just months before her third World Cup appearance.

Martha Zaytoun | Feb 8, 2024

Megan Rapinoe was photographed by Ben Watts in St. Lucia.

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

When Megan Rapinoe posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2019, she had already cemented herself as a legend on the soccer pitch.

She turned pro in 2009, following a successful career with at the University of Portland, and immediately started making her mark on the professional game. That year, she was named to the Women’s Professional Soccer All-Star Team. After just a couple years of pro play, she got the call-up to join the USWNT at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Following that first year, she made three other FIFA World Cup appearances in her 14-year career, including in 2019. The same year that she took to the beaches of St. Lucia to pose for a fierce series of photos with photographer Yu Tsai, she headed to France for what would become one of the highlights of her career. Rapinoe helped lead her team to victory in the 2019 World Cup, scoring six goals—the most of any player in the tournament—to earn the prestigious Golden Boot.

In short, it was a big year for the now 38-year-old retired athlete. She put her skills on display on the beaches and waters of St. Lucia, proving herself prepared for the second-to-last World Cup appearance of her career. In 2023, following her fourth World Cup, the soccer star officially retired, bringing an end to an epic career in professional sports.

She may have hung her soccer jersey up, but will never be over that trip to St. Lucia. Below are some of spectacular photos from the trip.

Megan Rapinoe — Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

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Published Feb 8, 2024

MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2023, she worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Zaytoun loves to watercolor and oil paint, run and water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.