Who is Canada’s Women’s World Cup star Quinn?

QUINN has made history as the first trans or non-binary footballer to play at a World Cup.

Canada got one step closer to booking their spot in the knock-out rounds of the Women’s World Cup following a 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland.

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Quinn helped Canada beat the Republic of Ireland[/caption]

And midfielder Quinn has been an integral part of the team’s amazing Women’s World Cup journey.

Here is what we know about the Canadian star.

Who is Quinn?

Born in Toronto on August 11, 1995, Quinn grew up with three sisters.

Quinn always had a passion and talent for football and was heavily involved in the game by age six.

They attended Duke University, where Quinn became the first Canadian to play for the Duke Blue Devils soccer team between 2013 to 2018 while securing a major in biology.

The Canadian star was also awarded the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference Midfielder of the Year award in 2017 despite starting their career as a defender.

But prior to that, Quinn’s name really hit the headlines when they led Canada to a 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medal before helping the Canadians grab gold at the Tokyo Games.

Quinn came out as non-binary and transgender (using gender-neutral pronouns) in 2020, and changed their name by adopting their prior surname.

The footballer told BBC Sport: “It’s really difficult when you don’t see people like yourself in the media or even around you or in your profession.

“I was operating in the space of being a professional footballer and I wasn’t seeing people like me.”

Who does Quinn play for?

Quinn’s sensational performances for Duke University saw them become the highest-drafted Canadian in National Women’s Soccer League history.

They were picked up by Washington Spirit in 2017 before moving to France to play for Paris FC a year later.

In 2019, Quinn then signed for Seattle side OL Reign and has been there since apart a short loan spell at Swedish club Vittsjo Gik the following year.

The midfielder has racked up 90 caps since debuting for Canada at age 18 and has featured at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.