Goodbye Rapinoe

In the world of women's football, she has fought for recognition with her political appearances. After the USA women won the World Cup title in 2019, the fight continued off the field. The demand was equal pay. This is what they got. A court ruled every player on the national team gets a pay raise to $450,000 per year. So their success also went beyond the playing field. In the 2022 World Cup, the team had to go home after the round of 16. A close 5:4 loss against Sweden marked their end, as the general feeling was that a lack of motivation within the team hindered their game. This doesn't belittle their remarkable success in holding the record for four titles as world champions. In her last game with the US national team, she once and for all made her unique celebration after assisting the 2:0 against South Africa. In the 54th minute, she handed over the captain badge to her teammate Horan, bowed down to the audience and the football world, and left the field with the words "I'm out."

Her unique style and outspoken personality made her a role model for young girls aspiring to play football. She used her platform to advocate for female strength not only in sports but also in society, inspiring a new generation of female athletes to stand up and break with the common stereotypes.

Her marks on the game will remain.

References

Das, Andrew. “U.S. Soccer and Women's Players Agree to Settle Equal Pay Lawsuit (Published 2022).” The New York Times, 18 February 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/22/sports/soccer/us-womens-soccer-equal-pay.html. Accessed 5 October 2023.