Professional U.S. women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe has won the award for Best FIFA Women’s Player, beating out her teammate Alex Morgan for the prize.
Rapinoe and Morgan played together on the U.S. women’s national team that beat out the Netherlands to secure the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the fourth ever for the U.S. women’s team.
Congratulations, #MeganRapinoe
Winner of #TheBest FIFA Women’s Player 2019 ?#TheBest | #FIFAFootballAwards pic.twitter.com/cokynhMRCX
— #TheBest ? (@FIFAcom) September 23, 2019
Rapinoe used her acceptance speech to promote equal pay and LGBT issues.
“If everyone was as outraged about homophobia as the LGBTQ players, if everyone was as outraged about equal pay or the lack thereof or the lack of investment in the women’s game other than just women — that would be the most inspiring thing to me,” Rapinoe said. “I feel like that’s my ask of everybody.”
“I ask everyone here because I think everyone in this room has that crown that they’re bearing, lend your platform to other people,” Rapinoe continued. “We have a unique opportunity in football different to any other sport in the world to use this beautiful game to actually change the world for better. Do something. Do anything.”
During the World Cup competition, Rapinoe grabbed headlines by making comments critical of President Trump and the gender pay difference between professional male and female soccer players. Rapinoe is currently involved in a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for alleged pay discrimination.
Prior to winning the World Cup, Rapinoe said in an interview that she would not go “to the f—ing White House” if the team were invited. The comment started off a tit-for-tat between the president and the soccer star.
