Megan Rapinoe was in the middle of the storm surrounding the USWNT’s World Cup exit after being booed for laughing at her own missed penalty kick.
The blue-haired liberal veteran, 38, missed a crucial spot kick in a penalty shootout against Sweden, which the USWNT ultimately lost and was eliminated, marking the end of her final World Cup game with the Stars and Stripes.
Rapinoe made waves by laughing and grinning as she ran back to the halfway line after firing the ball over the crossbar – her last contribution in a Stars and Stripes jersey as she retired.
It’s a far cry from the headlines surrounding Rapinoe and the USWNT during the last edition of the tournament.
She was the co-captain of the USWNT who had just won her second World Cup on the bounce. She also left France as the tournament’s top scorer, with six goals.
Megan Rapinoe was at the center of the storm surrounding the USWNT World Cup exit
She’s graced magazine covers, starred in ad campaigns, and was even named Sports Illustrated’s 2019 Sportsperson of the Year.
But even then, Rapinoe was already a polarizing figure.
Rapinoe took the knee during the national anthem in 2016, becoming one of the first white athletes to do so.
She first did this in September 2016, during an NWSL game between Chicago and Seattle supporting Colin Kaepernick.
Later that month, she continued her protest ahead of a U.S. vs. Thailand friendly in Columbus, Ohio.
Her actions led US Soccer to issue a statement expressing her disapproval without directly naming her.
“We expect our players and coaches to stand and honor our flag as the national anthem is played,” it read.
The next game was booed by the Atlanta crowd when she came in as a second half substitute and she was instructed not to dress for the next two games.
The football veteran gave his first knee during the national anthem in September 2016
It made her one of the first white athletes to take the knee in support of Colin Kaepernick
The following year, she was seemingly thrown into exile from the national team for not being on the roster for the annual SheBelives Cup held in the United States.
Rapinoe said Time that she felt the team was “happy to just let me go out to pasture.”
Former teammate Hope Solo has since accused Rapinoe of bullying other members of the US team into taking a knee.
“I’ve seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her own way,” Solo told Goal.com in 2021.
The controversy continued until the next World Cup in 2019. Although Rapinoe did not take a knee during the tournament, she refused to sing the national anthem with her arms dangling at her sides instead of over her heart.
However, backlash against Rapinoe was heightened when a six-month-old clip of Rapinoe narrated the obscure outlet Eight by Eight; “I’m not going to the (smooth) White House.”
Winning American sports teams are often invited to the White House in honor and recognition of their victory.
Rapinoe had accepted the invitation following the USWNT’s 2015 victory during the Obama administration.
Rapinoe sparked a feud with Donald Trump when she said she wouldn’t run for the White House
The then president took to Twitter to criticize Rapinoe during the 2019 World Cup
But her rejection of a potential offer from Obama’s predecessor sparked criticism — most notably from then-President Donald Trump himself.
Trump tweeted that Rapinoe should “never despise our country, the White House or our flag, especially because so much has been done for her and the team.”
Victoria’s Secret even announced Rapinoe as part of its effort to revamp its image amid criticism of Angels and models.
“We are proud to bring together an unparalleled group of pioneering partners who share a common goal of driving positive change,” the company said in a statement.
“These extraordinary partners, with their unique backgrounds, interests and passions, will work with us to create revolutionary product collections, engaging and inspiring content, new internal partner programs and support for causes vital to women.”
After being revealed as the new face of the lingerie brand, Rapinoe told the New York Times that the old Victoria’s Secret was “patriarchal, sexist and looked not just at what it meant to be sexy, but at what the clothes were trying to convey.” achieve through a male lens. and by what men desired.
Rapinoe was the face of the Victoria’s Secret rebrand after the company was criticized
“And it was very much promoted to younger women,” which promoted a “really harmful” message.
But Rapinoe ran into trouble when an old tweet of hers resurfaced.
She came under fire when a 2011 tweet was revealed in which she mocked someone for looking “Asian” because of his eyes.
Rapinoe reportedly made the tweet to former pro soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Natasha Kai — who is of Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino and Caucasian descent, according to Sports Room.
‘you look asian with those closed eyes!’ Rapinoe wrote in the May 19, 2011 tweet.
The account believed to belong to Kai no longer existed, and it was unclear what Rapinoe was responding to the tweet about. Kai has another Twitter account that she opened in 2016 and hasn’t posted since 2018.
With pay equality in the bag for the USWNT, Rapinoe recently turned her attention to the struggles of transgender athletes.
She has begun to fight to protect the rights of transgender athletes, whom she said she would welcome to the national team.
“Absolutely,” she told Time. “You’re taking the place of a ‘real’ woman,” that’s the part of the argument that’s still extremely transphobic. I see trans women as real women. What you’re automatically saying in the argument – you’re kind of telling yourself already – is that you don’t believe these people are women. That’s why they take the other place. I don’t feel that way.’
In the tweet, Rapinoe mocked someone for looking “Asian” because of his eyes
Rapinoe allegedly made the tweet to former professional soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Natasha Kai – who is of Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino and Caucasian descent
Since her rise to prominence, Rapinoe has used her platform—provided by her on-field efforts—to address issues off the field.
But the stronger her voice became and the more her goals differed from the opinion of the majority of Americans, the bigger the target on her back became.
And with USA’s shocking early exit, with Rapinoe’s missed penalty kick and ensuing grin, fan frustration ensued for which they were only happy to target the figure they already love to hate.
The noise she makes off the field actually detracts from her efforts on it.
People who disagree with her crusades away from the beautiful game struggle to look beyond their differences to see her talent.
In addition, it has seemingly spread to the team with Rapinoe accused of “poisoning” her teammates by Megyn Kelly.
It seems that the louder and more arrogant Rapinoe’s yelling gets off the court, the more they drown out the good she’s done for the sport.
And after four years, America seems tired of turning victory into victimization.