Megan Rapinoe.
It feels difficult to truly quantify her impact, not only on the sport, but also in terms of her activism; her constant battle for social justice.
Love her or hate her, you have to respect what she has done. Oft maligned, she’s never too far from the forefront of any conversation about the USWNT, the NWSL, the continued fight for racial equality or LQBTQ+ rights.
She’s a pioneer in every sense of the word. And as the twilight dawns on her illustrious career, Sporting Her felt now was a good time to reflect on how a young girl from Redding, CA would change the face of US women’s soccer forever.
Her cultural impact
When NFL superstar Colin Kaepernick famously took the knee, to protest against police brutality, Rapinoe was one of the first major sports stars to show solidarity with the then San Francisco 49ers quarterback.
Rapinoe took the knee, for the first time, just prior to an NWSL match for Seattle Reign against the Chicago Red Stars in September 2016, and was met with widespread criticism from right-wing media.
When asked if she intended to accept an invitation to the White House should the USWNT triumph at France 2019, she replied, coarsely, “I’m not going to the fucking White House”.
The now infamous quote ultimately led to a Twitter spat with former US President Donald Trump. We were all team Megan then, right?
Since then, she’s firmly established herself in the mainstream international consciousness. She’s been an incredibly strong advocate for a number of marginalised communities.
The forward is a constant thorn in the side of the right wing… And I’m not talking about the football pitch here.
Prominent conservative figures — including former President Trump — took aim at the U.S. women’s national soccer team following their loss to Sweden, specifically veteran player Megan Rapinoe, who missed a crucial penalty kick. https://t.co/dOVNpLSGhe
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 9, 2023
Social champion
Simply put, she’s a champion of the deprecated; a proponent of the belittled. She will be remembered as much for this fact, as she will for her considerable achievements in the game.
Which, let’s be honest, is refreshing.
In an era when elite Premier League football clubs seem to be more than happy to declare alleged rapists innocent, despite said person never having been cleared, legally, of any wrong-doing… It’s important to remember the good ‘uns.
Of which Megan Rapinoe is one.
Rapinoe was also front and centre of the USWNT’s fight for equal pay, being integral to a lawsuit the team levied against US Soccer, the sports’ controlling authority in the United States.
“Honestly, I feel like we are a walking protest. The fact that we’re women professional athletes says that in and of itself. We’ve been feeling the inequality; we’ve been struggling with pay equality or whatever it is, or sexism in sports”. Rapinoe was quoted as saying in 2019.
Politics
Politically, she’s obviously very liberal. For the 2020 US election she threw her support behind the typically left-leaning Democrats. Although, her main purpose for doing so was to “get that maniac out of the White House”. This particular retort, clearly, was directed at the aforementioned President Trump.
She presumably wanted him to get back to work at Willy Wonka’s. Those reports are unconfirmed/very fictitious; although completely understandable.
Her off the field impact will be felt for generations. That being said, her on the field impact should not be sniffed at either.
A legend on the pitch
On the pitch, Rapinoe’s legacy is one of almost unparalleled success. As a major cog in the all conquering USWNT victories in the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups, her success, at least on the international stage, is almost unparalleled.
This is a player that has notched in 62 goals in 196 outings for her country, and has 200 appearances at club level (mostly for the Reign organisation).
On the pitch she encapsulates hard work, endeavour and skill. In football terms she’s very ‘marmite’. You either love her or you hate her.
But you cannot deny her footballing legacy. The game that summed up her international career was arguably the quarter-final against, then hosts, France in 2019. She dazzled in that game, and was probably the principle reason the US advanced past a talented French squad, with the famous Parc Des Princes right behind them.
As such, her last contribution on the world stage, the now infamous spot-kick she failed to convert against Sweden, felt like a betrayal to her legacy. The, frankly unhinged, attacks from the political right that accompanied the miss were ample reflection on the sad state of current US conservative politics. And perhaps reflective of Rapinoe’s tremendous social standing.
Using her platform for good
And that’s what this piece is truly about. Yes Rapinoe was an outstanding player. But she used her platform, as a superstar in the beautiful game, a game which transcends global boundaries and unites billions, to fight the good fight. To give a voice to those who have none.
"The stuff off the field is the reason I'm here on this planet."
Megan Rapinoe's international career has come to an end, but her "life's work" will continue. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EwLKYivgvH
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 25, 2023
The fact that a woman who is an openly proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, drew so much vitriol from those who believe equality to be the most disgusting of concepts, is quite the achievement… Fair fucking play, Megan.
Who knows what’s next for Rapinoe?
Whatever it is, it sure won’t be dull.
For more football related articles, click here.
Follow Sporting Her on social media by searching @SportingHerFootball, or use the links: Instagram // Twitter // Facebook
