Megan Rapinoe Returns to SI Swimsuit for 60th Anniversary Legends Photo Shoot

The retired professional soccer player posed for photographer Yu Tsai for a special 2024 issue group cover.

Ananya Panchal | May 15, 2024

Megan Rapinoe was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit alumna Megan Rapinoe made a comeback in this year’s issue. The retired professional soccer player made her debut with the brand in 2019, when she posed for photographer Ben Watts on the beaches of St. Lucia. She made history that year, as the first openly gay woman to star in the issue, and, in 2024, she returns as a legend for the 60th anniversary magazine.

“It’s really special. The lineup of women and the evolution of the cover of the Swimsuit Issue has become so much more representative of the women in it. For me, being gay and being able to represent in that way, and not just for myself but for others to see that, maybe makes someone more comfortable with themselves or opens up their aperture a bit more,” the California native said. “Empowerment is being able to be yourself and not trying to fit into what someone else prescribes for you or what the world prescribes for you, or showing up in a way that makes other people comfortable.”

View Megan Rapinoe’s 2024 legends gallery here.

The two-time Women's World Cup Champion and 2019 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year played for the NWSL’s OL Reign in Seattle for an entire decade before retiring in ’23. Today, the 38-year-old is engaged to WNBA icon Sue Bird, who was featured in the 2022 SI Swimsuit issue. The two run production company A Touch More together and posed for some very sweet pics with one another during their legends photo shoot in Hollywood, Fla., with visual artist with You Tsai.

Here are some of our favorite photos from Rapinoe’s SI Swimsuit legends gallery.

Megan Rapinoe was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Suit by Alice + Olivia. Shoes by Fendi. Jewelry by Melinda Maria. / Yu Tsau/Sports Illustrated

Megan Rapinoe was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Suit by Alice + Olivia. Shoes by Fendi. Jewelry by Melinda Maria. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe were photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Sue’s suit by Alice + Olivia. Shoes by Nike. Jewelry by Charlie Lapson. Megan’s suit by Alice + Olivia. Shoes by Fendi. Jewelry by Melinda Maria and Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Published May 15, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.