USA World Cup star Megan Rapinoe ‘down with’ booing of Fifa president Infantino
UNITED STATES women’s football hero Megan Rapinoe is happy for fans to boo whoever is necessary in order to progress their demands for pay equality.
After the US downed the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday’s World Cup final, FIFA president Gianni Infantio came in for a rough reception.
Chants of “equal pay” echoed around Parc Olympique Lyonnais as the 2019 victors prepared to lift the trophy.
And, in Rapinoe’s eyes, decision makers such as Infantino are ripe for criticism given the massive pay disparity that exists between the genders in football.
In particular, calls for the dominant United States women’s team to earn as much as, or more than, their less successful male team are ramping up.
Speaking to reporters after the game, she said: “I’m down with the boos.
“I think everyone is ready for this conversation to move to the next step.
“I think we’re done with ‘are we worth it, should we have equal pay, is the markets the same, yadda, yadda’.
What can FIFA do, what can we do to support the leagues around the world?
Megan Rapinoe
“Fans are done with that, players are done with that and, in a lot of ways I think sponsors and everyone’s done with that.
“Let’s get to the next point of what’s next. How do we support women’s federations and women’s programs around the world?
“What can FIFA do, what can we do to support the leagues around the world?
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“We put on as players — every player at this World Cup put on the most incredible show that you can ever ask for and we can’t do anything more to impress more, to be better ambassadors, to take on more, to play better.
“It’s time to move that conversation forward to the next step and a little public shame never hurt anybody, right.”
Rapinoe hit the opener before Rose Lavelle’s powerful second in Lyon, the 34-year-old winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot award for the World Cup’s best player and top scorer.