United States women’s World Cup-winning coach Jill Ellis and United States forward Megan Rapinoe pose after they received the Best FIFA coach award. (Source: AP)United States’ Megan Rapinoe, who won her first FIFA Player of the Year award, used the FIFA Best platform to give an inspiring acceptance speech, calling out racism and homophobia. The 34-year old also urged others to use their voices to make changes in the game. (PHOTOS)
Rapinoe led the United States to the women’s World Cup title in July, scoring six goals during the tournament which earned her the Golden Boot for the tournament’s top scorer and the Golden Ball as the top player.
The outspoken star often uses her success as a platform to speak out about issues. After receiving the award on Monday, she pleaded her colleagues to join the likes of Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling in speaking out on racism and other inequalities.
“Stories that have inspired me most; Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly, their incredible performances on the field but the way they have taken on the disgusting racism that they have to face this year but probably for their whole lives,” she said.
“The young Iranian woman who eventually set herself on fire because she wasn’t able to go to the game,” she continued. “The one out MLS player [Collin] Martin and the countless other female out LGBTQ players who fight so hard every day to a) just play the sport they love but b) to fight the rampant homophobia that we have. Those are all the stories that inspire me so much, but they also admittedly make me a little bit sad and a little bit disappointed.”
She also urged others to use their voices to make changes in the game. “If we really want to have meaningful change, what I think is most inspiring would be if everybody other than Sterling and Koulibaly, if they were as outraged about racism as they were, if everybody was as outraged about homophobia as the LGBTQ players, if everybody was as outraged about the lack of equal pay and investment in the women’s game other than just women, that would be the most inspiring thing to me,” Rapinoe said.
United States forward Megan Rapinoe receives the Best FIFA Women’s player award during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards, in Milan’s La Scala theater, northern Italy, Monday, Sept. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)“That’s my ask of everybody. We have such incredible opportunity, being professional football players, we have so much success, we have incredible platforms,” she said. “I ask everybody here to lend your platform, to lift people up, to use this beautiful game to change the world for better.”
The World Cup winner also said the fact that the women’s awards were announced after those of the men were a sign of progress. “Those are little subtle nods but those mean a lot when in past awards shows we haven’t even been here or been represented,” she said. “At certain times, if the men’s World Cup is on, we probably shouldn’t go last and that’s OK. I think catering to both in a way that elevates each sport when it’s at its highest is really special.”
Rapinoe finished with 46 ranking points to 42 for teammate Alex Morgan. (Reuters)Rapinoe was the top scorer at this year’s Women’s World Cup, as a member of the victorious US team. The team’s manager, Jill Ellis, was named coach of the year. She paid tribute to the effect Rapinoe has had on football.
“Pinoe’s so charismatic,” said Ellis. “I love it because she does utilise her platform and provokes people to look really hard at things we can influence and change in the world that we are in. So I think [Rapinoe’s speech] was great, it was terrific.”
Rapinoe finished with 46 ranking points to 42 for teammate Alex Morgan and 29 for England’s Lucy Bronze.
