Megan Rapinoe
Photo: AFP/Saeed Khan
There was Megan Rapinoe, eyes red, hair dyed blue, in front of a crowd of microphones, laughing again. Just like the football superstar did immediately after the crude miss in Melbourne’s World Cup stadium. Shortly thereafter, the USA lost to Sweden on penalties (4: 5) at the 2023 World Cup on Sunday evening. A surreal final chord for the 38-year-old pioneer. “I’ve never missed a penalty,” she claimed afterwards. At least she’s never aimed so far off the mark. “It’s just a sick joke.”
But this woman is not self-pitying. As much as football means to her, she doesn’t define herself by it. So she refrained from criticizing coach Vlatko Andonovski, who had only substituted the two-time world champion and world soccer player in three games. She loved every moment, so after the last of 202 international matches she could say: “I’ll miss it to death, but it feels like the right time.” She wants to stop completely in the fall.
Her legacy remains: her unwavering commitment to equality and human rights. She became the first white athlete to kneel during the US national anthem to speak out against racism. She sued her own association to pay women and men the same premiums. During the 2019 World Cup, she engaged in a war of words via the media with then-President Donald Trump. Rapinoe was one of the first players to publicize her homosexuality eleven years ago.
The country with the largest base remains without a medal for the first time since the World Cup premiere in 1991. But Rapinoe also found solace in the shift in power: »This is proof of the progress made by so many teams around the world. I have the feeling that football is in good hands. I can resign with dignity.«
#ndbtbt – Get active and order a promotional package
It doesn’t matter whether it’s pubs, cafés, festivals or other meeting places – we want to become more visible and reach everyone for whom independent journalism with an attitude is important. We have put together an action package with stickers, flyers, posters and buttons that you can use to get active and support your newspaper yourself.
To the action package
