Soccer star Megan Rapinoe signs book deal with Penguin Random House

Outspoken soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe will offer her takes on sports and current events in a new book for the Penguin Press.

Rapinoe, who became a household name in America after her standout performance in this year’s Women’s World Cup, signed a deal with the Penguin Random House imprint for a book scheduled for release in the fall of 2020.

“The extraordinary platform of the World Cup 2019 win provides a perfect vehicle for a honest, thoughtful, unapologetic, idealistic discussion of women, social justice, role models, gay issues, nationalism, and even a little soccer,” the publisher said in a news release.

“I hope this book will inspire people to find what they can do, and in turn inspire other people around them to do the same,” Rapinoe told the New York Times.

Rapinoe’s career in soccer began in Redding, Calif., where she grew up with her family, including her twin sister, Rachael, also a soccer player. An all-American in high school, Rapinoe went on to play college soccer at the University of Portland in Oregon and for a number of professional teams, including the Chicago Red Stars, the Philadelphia Independence and, most recently, Reign FC in Tacoma, Wash.

She was a member of the American team that won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London and has played in three Women’s World Cups.

Rapinoe is known for her activism in women’s and LGBTQ issues. She has worked with the LGBTQ advocacy groups GLSEN and Athlete Ally, and has been outspoken about the pay disparity between American men and women soccer players.

She has said her activism stems from her patriotism. “I think that I’m particularly and uniquely and very deeply American,” she said earlier this month. “I think this country was founded on a lot of great ideals, but it was also founded on slavery. And I think we just need to be really honest about that and be really open in talking about that so we can reconcile that and hopefully move forward and make this country better for everyone.”

Rapinoe will become the third co-captain of the U.S. women’s national soccer team to appear on bookstore shelves. Her teammate Alex Morgan, a San Dimas native who played for the University of California, is the author of a memoir, “Breakaway: Beyond the Goal,” and a series of soccer-themed children’s books called “The Kicks.” And the team’s third co-captain, Carli Lloyd, has written two books, “When Nobody Was Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey to the Top of the Soccer World” and a young adult book titled “All Heart: My Dedication and Determination to Become One of Soccer’s Best.”

Rapinoe’s book will be followed by one intended for younger readers to be published by Penguin Random House imprint Razorbill. Both books are as yet untitled.