Here is all you need to know about Canadian soccer player and transgender, Rebecca Quinn, at the 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup
Last week, Canadian midfielder Quinn made history by becoming the first out transgender and non-binary football player to compete in a World Cup.
Who is Rebecca Quinn first transgender and non-binary Canada soccer player playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
Quinn kicked off Friday’s match between Canada and Nigeria, which ended in a scoreless draw. The 27-year-old played the entire 90 minutes but was unable to spur his team to victory as their season got off to a frustrating start.
Canada, which is ranked seventh in the world right now, is one of the favourites for the competition in Australia and New Zealand. Australia and the Republic of Ireland will also be opponents for Quinn’s team in their group. Because of the historic appearance on Friday, here is all the information you require about Quinn.
Who is Quinn?
Quinn, originally Rebecca Quinn, was born in Toronto, Canada, on August 11, 1995. Quinn, who had three sisters, started playing football when Quinn was just six years old. They quickly established themselves as talented players.
They attended Duke University, where Quinn, a biology major, became the first Canadian to play for the Duke Blue Devils football team from 2013 to 2018. They began playing as a defender but later switched to the midfield and won the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference Midfielder of the Year award in 2017.
They made their national team debut in 2014 at the age of 18, competing for Canada. They also represented Canada in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where the country won bronze. Quinn was attending university at the time. After becoming the first out transgender and non-binary athlete to participate at the Olympics two years ago, Quinn is used to making history. Canada won the gold in Tokyo, making it a successful competition for them.
When did Quinn transition?
Quinn highlighted their wish to be “visible to queer folks who don’t see people like them on their feed” in a long Instagram post where they revealed the news. Quinn, who refers to themselves as “they” and “them,” was permitted to continue playing professional women’s football because to the sex they were assigned at birth. As a result, the midfielder serves as an example for all trans and non-binary people worldwide.
At that time, she stated:
I want to be a visible figure for young trans folks or people questioning their gender, people exploring their gender.
‘Because unfortunately when I was growing up, and even going through that process of figuring out myself in college, I didn’t have those people in the public sphere to look up to.
‘There are several trans athletes and several trans people in media and politics, but I just think those faces are not common enough.
‘I want to be a visible trans person succeeding in my job, so that younger trans folks could see that they did have an avenue to go and that they would have a future and a career ahead of them.’
Who do they play for?
Quinn, who excelled at Duke University, was selected third overall by the Washington Spirit in 2017, making her the highest-drafted Canadian in NWSL history. Prior to the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, they left the club after a year to play for Paris FC there.
Later that year, they signed with the Seattle-based OL Reign, and Quinn has remained there ever since with the exception of a brief loan stint at Swedish club Vittsjo GIK in 2020.
The midfielder has earned 90 caps for the Canucks since making his international debut for Canada in 2014 at the age of 18. They have also competed in two Olympic Games, in 2016 and 2020.
Quinn became the first out, trans, and non-binary gold winner in Olympic history after Canada won the 2020 Olympics, which were held in Tokyo in 2021 due to the Covid-19 epidemic. In 2016, Quinn also won a bronze medal.