American international footballer, two-time world champion and Olympic champion. A major figure in the fight for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights, she left her mark on women's football through her activism as much as through her performances.
Megan Rapinoe(1985 — ?)
Megan Rapinoe
États-Unis
5 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Olympic football champion with the United States at the 2012 London Games
- World champion with the United States at the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada
- Wins a second World Cup in 2019 in France, finishing as the tournament's top scorer and best player (Golden Ball and Golden Boot)
- Receives the women's Ballon d'Or in 2019
- Active in protest from 2016 onward, following Colin Kaepernick's lead, and a leading figure in the fight for equal pay in American football
Works & Achievements
Olympic title won in London with the United States team, her first major international honor.
Victory at the World Cup in Canada, Rapinoe's first world title.
Top scorer and best player of the tournament won in France, a performance that made her a global star.
The supreme individual honor rewarding the best female footballer of the year.
The culmination of the American players' legal battle for equal pay, a victory that reached beyond sport.
The highest American civilian honor, recognizing her athletic and social influence.
A book in which she recounts her journey and defends her commitment to social justice.
Anecdotes
At the 2019 World Cup in France, Megan Rapinoe scored six goals and won both the Golden Boot (top scorer) and the Golden Ball of the tournament (best player), at the age of 34. Her arms-outstretched celebration became an iconic image of the tournament.
In 2016, she took a knee during the American national anthem, in solidarity with American football player Colin Kaepernick, to protest police violence and racial discrimination. The U.S. federation then changed its rules to require players to stand, a measure she challenged.
Together with her teammates on the United States team, she led a legal battle for equal pay between women's and men's soccer players. In 2022, a historic agreement provided for equal compensation, a first that was hailed around the world.
When a journalist relayed an invitation to the White House in 2019, she responded with a now-famous remark refusing to go, which sparked a heated national controversy in the United States.
In 2022, President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, for her role in sports and her commitment to equality.
Primary Sources
“We have to be better. We have to love more, hate less. Listen more, talk less.”
Megan Rapinoe is honored for her athletic achievements and her advocacy for gender equality, equal pay, and LGBTQ+ rights.
The players denounce wage and treatment discrimination compared to the men's team and demand equal pay.
Key Places
Town in northern California where Megan Rapinoe was born and grew up with her twin sister Rachael.
University where Rapinoe played college soccer and won a national title, a key step before her professional career.
Stadium where the 2019 World Cup final was played, won by the United States against the Netherlands.
City where Rapinoe played club soccer for years (OL Reign / Seattle) and where she built her personal life.
Where she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, after declining an invitation in 2019.
Typical Objects
Band worn on the arm marking the leader of the team on the field. Rapinoe wore this armband, sometimes in rainbow colors to support LGBTQ+ rights.
Soccer shoes fitted with studs to grip the turf. An essential tool for the performance of a top-level women's soccer player.
The central object of the game, struck, controlled, and directed toward the opponent's goal. The ball of the 2019 World Cup bore designs specific to the French tournament.
Cup awarded to the world champion team, lifted by Rapinoe and her teammates in 2015 and 2019.
United States team jersey worn by Rapinoe. It became an object of support sold in huge numbers, a sign of her popularity.
Emblem of the LGBTQ+ movement that Rapinoe regularly displayed or championed. It symbolizes her activism for minority rights.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Tags
Daily Life
Morning
A professional footballer's morning begins early with an energy-rich breakfast, followed by a trip to the training center. Then come warm-ups, technical drills, and tactical work with the team.
Afternoon
The afternoon is devoted to recovery: body care, physiotherapy, weight training, or video sessions to analyze opponents. Media obligations and activist commitments also take up part of her schedule.
Evening
In the evening, the focus shifts to rest, a controlled diet, and personal time. As a match approaches, the routine becomes stricter, with particular attention paid to sleep.
Food
Her diet is overseen by nutritionists: protein for the muscles, carbohydrates for energy, plenty of vegetables, and rigorous hydration. Indulgences are rare during the season.
Clothing
In her daily sporting life, she wears technical training gear, club or national-team jerseys and shorts. Off the field, she is known for a bold style and her often-dyed hair.
Housing
Like an elite athlete with a comfortable income, she lives in a modern home in the United States, mainly in the Seattle area, close to her club.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Médaille d'or olympique
2012
Championne du monde
2015
Coupe du monde 2019 : Soulier d'or et Ballon d'or
2019
Ballon d'Or Féminin
2019
Accord sur l'égalité salariale
2022
Médaille présidentielle de la Liberté
2022
One Life (autobiographie)
2020
