Rapinoe winning in all facets of game
LYON, France — A Women’s World Cup stirred by heated debates on politics, pay and technology saw the narratives fused in Sunday’s final by the undisputed and outspoken star of the tournament: Megan Rapinoe.
By opening the scoring with a penalty awarded after a video review, Rapinoe claimed a sixth goal and — thanks to three assists and playing fewer minutes — finished as the Golden Boot winner of the mostwatched FIFA women’s tournament.
Winning the topplayer prize provided the pinkhaired captain renowned for her individuality and activism with a platform for both after the Americans completed their title defense with a 20 victory over the Netherlands.
The forward got to collect her scoring trophy before the main prize was handed out in Lyon, and revel in the adulation.
But only after the introduction of French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino for the onfield trophy presentation was followed by boos and chants of “equal pay” — thousands taking up Rapinoe’s campaign for more equitable prize money from the World Cup organizers and compensation from the U.S. federation.
“A little public shame never hurt anyone,” Rapinoe said with a winners’ medal around her neck. “So I am down with it.”
Not down with a visit to the White House, though, with Rapinoe’s rejection of a posttournament visit delivered publicly in a video that emerged during the World Cup.
“Megan should WIN first before she TALKS!” President Trump responded in tweet that lit up the tournament. “Finish the job!”
When the job was finished Sunday, thanks to Rose Lavelle also scoring, only congratulations came from Trump — for the entire team.
“Great and exciting play,” he tweeted. “America is proud of you all!”
In the hours before the Americans won a record fourth World Cup, Rapinoe found an advocate for the pursuit of greater pay equality in the French president.
“We need to go progressively toward that,” Macron said. “We should progressively converge.”
That is undermined by the prize money for the men’s World Cup in 2022 jumping to $440 million when the women’s teams will split $60 million in 2023. This time, it is only half that. Victory gave the Americans $4 million — double the amount earned four years ago — as part of a $30 million prize pot but lagging the $38 million earned by France for lifting the men’s trophy last July in Moscow.
On the eve of the final, sitting in the same newsconference position occupied by Infantino a day earlier, Rapinoe rebuked the head of soccer’s governing body for disrespecting women as the prizemoney gulf widens with the winners of the men’s World Cups.
Rapinoe has something for which to be thankful to Infantino: the introduction of VAR, which has had a disruptive debut in women’s soccer as referees and players have adjusted to the new technology. Replays confirmed Dutch defender Stefanie van der Gragt’s high challenge on striker Alex Morgan and Rapinoe took on penalty duties for her 50th international goal.
“VAR wouldn’t miss the final; she had to show up somewhere,” Rapinoe said. “It has gotten a lot of stick in the tournament. There’s some inconsistencies, but this is the first time all these referees have actually used it. So overall, I think it’s been pretty good.”