Megan Rapinoe, the renowned U.S. women’s soccer team (USWNT) and Seattle Reign FC player, and Sue Bird, the legendary WNBA player, have been in a relationship since 2016. Both athletes have had illustrious careers in their respective sports, earning accolades and becoming icons. They publicly announced their relationship in 2017, making them one of the few high-profile same-sex couples in the sports world. Rapinoe’s activism and Bird’s support of her partner’s causes have made them an influential couple beyond their athletic achievements. Their love and support for each other have been evident throughout their journey, inspiring many..
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird have one of the most iconic relationship timelines in the sports world.
From a fateful run-in in 2016 at the Summer Olympics and an embarrassingly shy pick-up line, to engagements on the beach and announcements of retirement, Bird and Rapinoe have been by each other’s side through a lot.
The two have been together for seven years now, marrying in 2020, and the pair are stepping into the next biggest chapter of their lives at the ripe ages of 38 and 42.
They’ve shared love, devotion and support — and super sweet sideline smooches (say that 10 times fast) — on some of the biggest stages of their lives between the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2020 (really 2021) Tokyo Summer Olympics.
They’ve lifted each other up through the thick and the thin and have proved, time and time again, their dedication to each other runs way deeper than we can see with the public eye.
Here’s what you need to know about their relationship, from the beginning to today:
MORE: Why Megan Rapinoe’s last World Cup might be her most important
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird relationship timeline
August 2016: Ever seen that movie about the two Spix macaws, Blu and Jewel? I’m convinced that was actually Megan and Sue, whose relationship took flight in the same vibrant town in Brazil.
Much like the now-extinct in the wild blue parrots from the 20th Century Fox Animation, the pair had their own fateful meet-cute doing press during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio and began dating almost immediately.
Rapinoe and Bird shared their story on NBC Sports in 2020. The pair had bumped into each other at the pre-Olympic summit photoshoot, Bird decked out in her Team USA basketball uniform with her long, curly hair flowing down her back.
Bird said Rapinoe and her had crossed paths switching stages and Rapinoe had chosen the cheesiest athlete pick-up line to dose out: “Hey, you ready for your game?”
Rapinoe recalled it as being “something stupid,” calling herself “such a loser” having made “such a bad impression,” while Bird was dumbfounded with her “ha ha, yeah, funny” dorky response.
Rapinoe: I walked away like, why would you ever say that?
Bird: I walked away like, I thought you were supposed to be… cool?
Now it’s a running joke between them.
July 2017: Bird came out as gay and announced her relationship with Rapinoe to the public one summer later. The timing was nothing planned by Bird intentionally, she had said at that point that it just “felt right” as a step in her journey.
The soccer star had already been public with her sexuality since 2012, which she’d shared though an OUT magazine feature.
Bird had told ESPNW, according to Bleacher Report:
I’m gay. Megan’s my girlfriend. … These aren’t secrets to people who know me. I don’t feel like I’ve not lived my life. I think people have this assumption that if you’re not talking about it, you must be hiding it, like it’s this secret. That was never the case for me.
June 2018: The pair posed nude together for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue, becoming the first same-sex couple to ever be featured, according to People magazine.
July 2019: Rapinoe had been recorded during the year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, stating she would not be going “to the f—ing White House” if the USWNT brought home the trophy.
When then-President Donald Trump jumped on the attack against Rapinoe, Bird came to her defense quickly, sharing an essay titled “So the President F—ing Hates My Girlfriend” in The Players’ Tribune.
Rapinoe and the States’ won their second consecutive cup title just five days later, on July 7, 2019. The couple shared a celebratory kiss as soon as the final whistle was blown.
October 2019: Rapinoe called herself Bird’s “number one superfan.” She shared in a special interview with People magazine that she “loves being a WAG [an acronym that refers to wifes and girlfriends of athletes].” There is no jealousy between the two legends when it comes to sporting successes, only support and pride.
June 21, 2020: Bird and Rapinoe, alongside Russell Wilson, hosted the annual ESPY Award show. There was a segment about racial injustice during which the couple spoke about the importance of standing up and fighting for what’s right.
July 5, 2020: Bird shared a sweet and funny video of Rapinoe dancing and air-drumming in a hot tub to Instagram for her 35th birthday.
October 2020: On Oct. 23, Rapinoe shared with People magazine that they were discussing a marriage somewhere in the future. The soccer star shared she was definitely open to it and, “if [Bird] were ever to break up with me or want to, that’s totally fine, that’s [her] choice. … Just know that I will crumble to dust.”
Seven days later, on Oct. 30, Rapinoe made good on her word and got down on one knee. They have taken their wedding planning very slowly and are still not married in 2023.
Aug. 8, 2021: Bird was selected as flag bearer for Team USA in the postponed-2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Rapinoe was with her in Japan to support her as she won her fifth gold medal.
March 2022: After a getaway to the beach, Bird discussed how their wedding planning had been doing after a then 18-month long engagement. She told People magazine they were toying with the idea of a destination wedding in Mexico, with Coronas on the bar menu.
June 16, 2022: Bird announced she would be retiring from the WNBA following the 2022 season.
Sept. 6, 2022: Bird played her last game with the Seattle Storm and hung her jersey up for the last time. Rapinoe shared a tribute to her fiancee’s 20-year career on Instagram.
Dec. 7, 2022: Rapinoe and Bird launched a production company called A Touch More, which will tell stories about those who shape and move culture forward in both scripted and unscripted formats.
June 11, 2023: Rapinoe gave a speech at Bird’s jersey retirement ceremony, co-hosted with rapper Macklemore at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
July 8, 2023: Rapinoe announced she would be retiring from the USWNT and NWSL following the 2023 season. She is currently in Australia and New Zealand for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, trying to win America it’s third consecutive title.
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird have been in a relationship for seven years, getting married in 2020. Their relationship began at the 2016 Summer Olympics when they met during a press event. Bird used a cheesy pick-up line, and Rapinoe was initially unimpressed. In 2017, Bird publicly came out as gay and announced her relationship with Rapinoe. The couple posed nude together for ESPN The Magazine in 2018, making them the first same-sex couple to be featured. They have supported each other through career accomplishments and even defended each other against criticism. Bird recently retired from the WNBA, and Rapinoe announced her retirement from the USWNT and NWSL following the 2023 season.
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