Megan Rapinoe isn’t going to slip into obscurity without a fight. The United States Women’s National Team midfielder who helped the team win multiple World Cups before turning woke and protesting against the very country that she once was a superstar in has now made comments bashing Spain’s head coach for a celebratory kiss that he shared with one of his players after winning this year’s tournament.
The video of the kiss made its rounds on social media as soccer fans wondered at the unusual nature of such an intimate celebration between coach and player. After the conclusion of the game, Head Coach Luis Rubiales embraces his captain, Jennifer Hermoso, and plants a kiss right on her lips.
Rapinoe took issue with this and, as is her favorite thing to do, turned her take on the kiss into a commentary about feminism and misogyny in America. In an interview with the Atlantic, Rapinoe said, “It made me think about how much we are required to endure. Think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: Some of the players who stood up way back last year [to protest poor treatment by their coach and federation] still aren’t on the team.”
She continued talking about the kiss, saying, “There was another picture that signals such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man [Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish soccer federation] at the final whistle, just grabbing his crotch. What kind of upside-down world are we in?”
Bringing home her idea, Rapinoe said, “On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni [Hermoso, the Spanish midfielder who was kissed by Rubiales] has to be physically assaulted by this guy.”
🔴 Rubiales, president de @rfef al costat de la infanta Sofia fa un petó a una jugadora durant la celebració del mundial de la selecció femenina d'Espanya. Si en comptes d'una jugadora fos un jugador de futbol o fos una personalitat política no passaria. Ho estan censurant. pic.twitter.com/h9RCnO6tYm
— David Melero 📸 📽 ✏ 🔴 (@davidmelero__) August 20, 2023
She went on to talk about the anti-women hate that she thinks is present in America. It’s worth noting that America afforded her and the rest of the USWNT ample opportunities to make a living playing a sport, but to Rapinoe, that wasn’t enough.
“One thing that America does really well is backlash. I think there’s a huge backlash against women happening right now,” Rapinoe said. “I think we see that with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We’re seeing that with the trans argument in sports. Does Alexi know exactly what he’s saying? If I was saying stuff that anchors on Fox News are also saying … I would be worried about the cosign.”
You can surely count on more of this kind of woke complaining from Rapinoe as she tries to find a job working as a commentator for one of the many woke television stations that will be looking for a former USWNT player come the next women’s World Cup.
While she may be positioning herself nicely for a post-playing gig, she is not ingratiating herself to many Americans, who are tired of seeing her whine and moan about the country that saw her rise to such incredible fame as a soccer player.
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