Women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe has decided there is no God after the American player suffered a “devastating” injury in her last ever match and had to leave the field just three minutes later.
Last night – US football legend Megan Rapinoe, 38, said she was ‘pretty sure’ she tore her Achilles tendon in the final match of her long career – the NWSL final.
‘I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a God this is proof that it doesn’t exist. This is damned,” Rapinoe said in her post-match interview as her teammate Rose Lavelle, 28, laughed along with her.
Rapinoe’s OL Reign side fell 2-1 to Gotham FC on Saturday night, losing the title after being subbed out following an injury just before the third minute.
“Definitely, I tore my Achilles tendon,” Rapinoe said in her post-match press conference. She said she felt a “huge bang” in what she calls “the worst possible outcome.”
Meghan Rapinoe, 38, had to be substituted just minutes after the final match of her career
Rapinoe said she was ‘pretty sure’ she tore her Achilles tendon during NWSL final
The 38-year-old described her early elimination in the final as ‘devastating’ – especially as it was the last match of her career
‘I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a God this is proof that it doesn’t exist. This is damned,” Rapinoe said in her post-match interview as her teammate Rose Lavelle, 28, laughed along with her.
The 38-year-old described her early elimination in the final as ‘devastating’ – especially as it was the last match of her career.
In her typical style, Rapinoe injected some dark humor and some self-mockery into the situation.
“I wasn’t overly emotional about it,” Rapinoe said. “I mean, I blew my Achilles tendon in the sixth minute of my last ever match in the literal championship match.
”
Rapinoe continued to joke, “I think I just drove until the wheels came off!”, Rapinoe joked, adding, “Now I’m just a NARP, a normal person, having to do rehab, what f* **devastating.’
Rapinoe added, “You have to find the silver lining and the dark humor, and that’s just who I am.”
During her last press conference she could not stop the waterworks. She was seen breaking down in tears and letting out the emotions of her last match as she prepared for the NWSL final against Gotham FC.
Rapinoe is now a retired player, but her soccer legacy extends beyond her athletic abilities.
The American player was an early supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and was criticized for kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.
In 2012, Rapinoe came out as a lesbian, drawing criticism from anti-LGBT critics.
Years later, she drew ire after an old video resurfaced of her signing a ball at the 2019 ESPY Awards without acknowledging the young fan in front of her.
The athlete hit back at critics during the 2019 Women’s World Cup, describing herself as “special and unique and very deeply American.”
She told the media, “If we want to talk about the ideals that we stand for, the song and the anthem, and what we’re based on, I guess I’m being extremely American.”
The football star admitted she was ‘not perfect’ but suggested the country wasn’t either.
‘Yes, we are a great country, and there are many things that are so great and I feel very lucky to be in this country. In many other places I would never be able to do this,” she said.
‘But also: that doesn’t mean we can’t get better. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t always strive to be better.’
Rapinoe said: ‘You have to find the silver lining and the dark humor, and that’s exactly who I am’
During her last press conference she could not stop the waterworks. She was seen breaking down in tears and letting out the emotions of her last match as she prepared for the NWSL final against Gotham FC
“I wasn’t overly emotional about it,” Rapinoe said. “I mean, I tore my Achilles tendon in the sixth minute in my last ever match in the literal championship match.”
Rapinoe joked, “Now I’m just a NARP, a normal human being, having to do rehab, which is fucking devastating.”
Former Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly blasted Rapinoe in September for “setting a terrible example” after refusing to sing the national anthem during her final game as part of the U.S. team.
Kelly viewed the athlete’s display as “her final middle finger to the United States.”
“Frowning with her hands behind her back as the little girls in front of her put their hands on their hearts,” Kelly said.
Rapinoe outraged football fans in August when she laughed after missing a crucial penalty in their World Cup match against Sweden.
As Rapinoe ran back to the center line where her teammates stood after sending her kick over the crossbar, she appeared to be grinning and laughing to herself.
Rapinoe explained her initial reaction afterward, saying, “That’s like a sick, sick joke. It’s never happened to me, if I miss, they’re saved. That’s why I had that smile on my face.
“I’m like, ‘You’re kidding me.’ Am I going to miss a penalty? I mean, honestly, I can’t remember the last time I missed.”