Megan Rapinoe is taking on a new role with the U.S. women’s national team.

While the 38-year-old forward has played in three previous World Cup tournaments, she knows she will be playing a much different role for the team than in her three previous World Cups, she told Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks.

“I’ve been used to being a starter, one of the kind of obvious names on the team sheet every game,” she said. “And that’s going to look really different.”

Despite winning the Best FIFA Women's Player and Golden Boot awards in 2019 along with a World Cup win, Rapinoe is embracing what she describes as the “fun grandma” role.

When the 23-player World Cup roster was announced, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski noted Rapinoe’s transition, which includes taking less minutes but also stepping up as a leader.

“She will probably have a different role than her last two World Cups,” he said. “She is certainly going to have different types of minutes.”

As some of her previous teammates like Carli Lloyd have retired, Rapinoe is joined by much younger emerging stars.  Rapinoe's leadership will come in handy as newbies including 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson, 22-year-old Sophia Smith, and 21-year-old Trinity Rodman join the U.S women's national team seeking the first three-peat in Women's World Cup history.

Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Kelley O'Hara are the only three members of the team heading to their fourth World Cup. As the oldest member of the U.S. national team, Rapinoe will have her “fun grandma” leadership to give the rest of her team an advantage in Australia and New Zealand.