Christie Rampone officially retires from the USWNT as a record-setting legend
Christie Rampone, the last remaining member of the U.S. women's 1999 World Cup-winning team, has finally, officially retired from international soccer. She outlasted her closest 1999 Cup-winning teammate by five years.
Rampone, 41, retires as the second-most capped player in not just U.S. Soccer history, but in international soccer, period. She has 311 caps, which is second only to former teammate Kristine Lilly, who has 354 caps. Rampone's international career spanned an impressive 19 years.
She will be honored next month for her legendary career, which made her the only USWNT player to play in four Olympics, and one of only a few to have won two World Cups. The ceremony will take place before the USWNT's March 4 match vs. England (5 p.m. ET on FOX).
"I really couldn't have asked for more from my career with the national team, not only on the field but also in the relationships I made and the life experiences I was fortunate enough to have," Rampone, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, said in a statement. "As a young girl, I never imagined the things I would get to see and the amazing people I would meet."
The defender's retirement marks the end of an era, as she was the last active member of the memorable 1999 Women’s World Cup-winning team. She won the World Cup again with the USWNT in 2015, becoming the oldest player to appear in the tournament at 40 years and 11 days old.
Although she will continue to play club soccer with Sky Blue FC, 2016 saw her phased out of the national team by coach Jill Ellis. Rampone's final match for the USWNT will go down as the 2015 Women’s World Cup final, when she subbed in for the final four minutes.
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