Transcript

Megan Rapinoe (0:00)

That was all, like, cute to think about until the entire undergirding of your orientation in the world and how you go about life all of a sudden, like, on a Sunday, it's one thing, and then on Monday, it's just not there.

Abby Wambach (0:17)

The reason why you were so successful on the soccer field is because you did it your way. She crosses the ball in the air.

Julie Foudy (0:24)

Yeah. Which is to get the force behind your leg. Yes.

Abby Wambach (0:27)

Is hard kicking behind the standing leg. And all of us were like, what just happened? Like, we were so amazed. And also, Christine was pissed because she was like, just hit it. Just hit it normally with your left leg.

Julie Foudy (0:40)

So real.

Megan Rapinoe (0:41)

I was like, dink that thing right to the back. Post for

Abby Wambach (0:46)

that was the day that I knew Megan Rapinoe was gonna be a star.

Julie Foudy (0:50)

Attention,

Abby Wambach (0:52)

the party is about to comm.

Julie Foudy (1:00)

Welcome to the party. What's up, party people? I'm Julie Foudy.

Abby Wambach (1:08)

And I'm Abby Wambach. Hi, Jules. How are you?

Julie Foudy (1:11)

Hi, Abigail. I'm good. How are you?

Abby Wambach (1:14)

I'm good. Did you have a good weekend?

Julie Foudy (1:16)

I did. You had a great weekend, which we'll get into.

Abby Wambach (1:20)

I did, but just before that. Coming up later, party people, one of the biggest icons in women's sports joins the party. Jules, our buddy, my bestie, Megan Rapinoe is here to talk about life, what's next, and knowing who Pino is. Whatever she's got cooking, we want to get into it. It's definitely not going to be quiet, that's for sure.

Julie Foudy (1:45)

Okay, but before we get into that, a little shout out to our party people, which we love. Our. Our little community, which we started is. And we love it. So just a reminder to spread the good word. Tell a friend or 500 about welcome to the Party. You can subscribe to the welcome to the party YouTube channel where you can actually watch us on video. And you can click that little bell icon so you get updates when new episodes go live.

Summary

Podcast Summary: Welcome to the Party

Episode: Megan Rapinoe Opens Up About Reinventing Herself

Date: May 12, 2026
Hosts: Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, Billie Jean King
Guest: Megan Rapinoe

Overview

This episode brings together soccer icons Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy, joined by the legendary Billie Jean King, to host a candid conversation with Megan Rapinoe, one of the most influential and recognizable athletes of her generation. The discussion centers on Rapinoe's transition from professional soccer, navigating personal and professional reinvention, identity, and her ambitions beyond the game. The episode is rich with insights on athlete retirement, personal growth, and the shifting landscape of women’s sports.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Processing Public and Private Transitions

Timestamps: [45:38] – [48:19]

Rapinoe talks openly about recent changes in her private life, notably her public breakup with Sue Bird.
Discusses the complexities of public relationships and setting boundaries between her personal and public persona:
- "I feel like I've done a lot of work on that over the course of my retirement, just having a better... actually thinking about it intentionally and then deciding what kind of relationship I want to have with being a public person." – Megan Rapinoe [46:00]
Abby Wambach relates, sharing her own experience navigating a public divorce and the intersection of private pain and community expectations, especially within the queer community.

2. The Challenge of Reinvention After Retirement

Timestamps: [48:39] – [54:49]

Rapinoe describes the shock of losing her athletic identity, even after planning ahead for life beyond soccer:
- "That was all, like, cute to think about until the entire undergirding of your orientation in the world and how you go about life... all of a sudden, like on a Sunday it's one thing, and then on Monday it's just not there." – Megan Rapinoe [49:23 & 00:00 reused for emphasis]
The first year post-retirement was masked by novelty, but by year two the loss truly set in, resulting in depressive bouts and a lack of daily structure.
She compared the shifting post-sports mindset to peeling back layers, discovering a harsh inner critic that had previously been masked by the drive and structure of competition.
Rapinoe shares about cultivating a "softer view" of herself, learning self-kindness, and releasing the feeling she needed to push herself to the extreme in all aspects of life.

3. Grappling with Grief and Identity Loss

Timestamps: [54:49] – [58:37]

Abby and Megan discuss the concept of retirement as a death of identity:
- "Talk about losing the game. Like, that there's like a death. It feels like a death. Like, the identity of soccer player has now died. And that is a hard thing to grieve." – Abby Wambach [54:04]
Rapinoe details working in therapy to disentangle Megan the person from "Megan Rapinoe" the brand, and learning to separate what to share publicly and what to hold privately.
She shares how experimenting with different routines, hobbies (like photography, cooking, and walking), and creative expressions helped her gradually fill the void.

4. Finding New Purpose and Creative Avenues

Timestamps: [56:46] – [67:32]

Rapinoe is candid about feeling like a beginner again—citing her struggles and discomfort with podcasting and public speaking outside a sports context.
The importance of creating from one's core:
- "This is something that came from me. I started. It came from inside of my body, and I wanted this rather than it just being something I could do, rather than it just being an industry or a thing." – Abby Wambach [58:37]
Rapinoe discusses excitement in women’s sports, emphasizing the "white space" for creative storytelling, content creation, and media ventures led by athletes for athletes.

5. Connecting Past Success with Future Influence

Timestamps: [67:32] – [74:53]

Rapinoe outlines her vision for using her expertise, voice, and recognition to elevate women's sports through creative production, photography, and storytelling.
She shares her excitement about her upcoming World Cup special series on A Touch More, a six-episode podcast launching June 11, 2026.
The role of athlete-driven media:
- "We need this podcast. We need my podcast. We need to impress podcast. We need Sam's Pocket. We need, like, we need everybody talking about it." – Megan Rapinoe [58:37]
Rapinoe confirms her ambition to eventually hold ownership stakes in women's sports franchises, voicing a desire for former players to remain central in shaping the industry’s future.

6. Reflections on the Next Generation and the USWNT

Timestamps: [74:53] – [79:38]

The current USWNT is "phenomenal" on the field, but Rapinoe sees room for growth in finding their collective voice and influence off the field.
She encourages young players to practice media engagement and leadership now rather than waiting for the spotlight:
- "If you have ambition to be one of the best players on the field, that also comes with the responsibility of having that off of the field." – Megan Rapinoe [78:14]
Abby and Megan stress the importance of players—not coaches—being the public face and voice of the team, continuing the legacy of advocacy and visibility.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On reinvention: "I can give parts of myself. I don't have to give all of myself." – Megan Rapinoe [46:00]
On shifting identity: "I started to feel really uncomfortable in my public body... I've done a lot of work to be like, okay, this is Megan, and then this is Megan Rapinoe." – Megan Rapinoe [54:57]
On the new phase of women's sports: "There's so much that needs to be done. We need this podcast... We need everybody talking about it." – Megan Rapinoe [58:37]
On women's sports business and ownership: "We did build this thing. We may not have got to the point where it was a billion dollar business because we didn't have that kind of capital. But, like, we're entrepreneurs. We're so smart." – Megan Rapinoe [73:11]
On USWNT’s media presence: "You got to prepare yourself. You got to pretend it's planning for this. Yeah. You got to practice for sure." – Abby Wambach [79:31]

Important Timestamps

Processing Public vs. Private Life: [45:38]–[48:19]
Retirement Realities & Identity Loss: [48:39]–[53:05]
On Grief and Finding New Direction: [54:06]–[58:37]
The Power of Athlete-Driven Media: [58:37]–[67:32]
Ambitions for Ownership & Influence: [71:15]–[74:53]
USWNT’s Present & Future: [74:53]–[79:38]

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode feels deeply reflective but celebratory; the language is forthright, often raw, and sprinkled with humor and intimate camaraderie between icons.
The conversation is accessible, not only focusing on elite athlete experience but offering universal lessons about loss, growth, and self-discovery.
There’s a constant undercurrent of joy for women’s sports—never taking the mission too seriously to stop having fun.

Conclusion

For listeners new or seasoned to women’s sports, this episode provides an authentic inside look into the post-athletic journey of a global icon. Megan Rapinoe’s candor about grief, struggle, and hopeful reinvention humanizes the mythos of star athletes. Combined with expert hosting by Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy, the show captures the momentum, vulnerability, and community spirit that continues to drive women’s sports forward.

Don’t miss Megan Rapinoe’s upcoming podcast series “A Touch More” launching June 11, 2026, for more unfiltered storytelling from inside the World Cup.

For the full episode and more, subscribe to “Welcome to the Party.”