Megan Rapinoe: USA Star Mocks God As Controversial Career Including Ballon d’Or Win Comes to an End

• Megan Rapinoe's last-ever football game ended prematurely due to a supposed Achilles injury
• Rapinoe then made a divisive comment, questioning God's existence during a press conference
• We take a look at Rapinoe's career and her controversial moments as she bows out officially

With Megan Rapinoe, there are no in-betweens. It is either one loves her or hates her.

But even for the latter group, many will agree she was as good as the best female footballers come along, perhaps even the best of all, if we take the 2019 Ballon d'Or vote into account.

Her talent and aura on the pitch were undeniable, but it was mostly her off-pitch antics that made her unlikeable among the masses despite her best efforts while playing.

Rapinoe mocks God

Like when she took a swipe at God and His existence after she got injured six minutes into her farewell game on November 12.

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"I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a God, like, this is proof that there isn’t," she said, as quoted by Huff Post.

The comment drew sharp reactions from right-wing conservatives who argued that her picking up an Achilles injury in her last-ever football game was proof that, if anything, God does exist.

Rapinoe has always divided opinion. The 38-year-old was part of the USA Women's dominance in world football that saw them win two World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, plus the 2012 Olympics gold medal.

When she smiled after missing a penalty

In the 2023 edition in Australia and New Zealand, many had expected the USA to go all the way and become the first nation, men or women's, to win three consecutive World Cup titles, only for Sweden to stop them in their tracks in the round of 16.

The game spilt over to penalty shootouts courtesy of Zecira Musovic's heroics. After Nathalie Bjorn had missed for the Swedes, Rapinoe stepped up with an opportunity to widen USA's lead, only for her to sky her effort.

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The OL Reign forward then smiled much to the charging of USA's supporters.

"Very ironic that Megan Rapinoe missed her penalty shot, then proceeded to laugh/smile afterwards," said @artistNeon on X.

This, coupled with the fact that she was among the few USA players who refused to sing the national anthem, did not go down well with supporters. Singing the national anthem is always seen as a sign of pledging your loyalty and fidelity to your country, but Rapinoe and the rest intended to use it as a sign of protest against social inequalities back at home, as reported by Sports Brief.

Rapinoe's fight against social injustices

Talking of inequalities, Rapinoe has been leading light in fighting against unequal pay, LGBTQ+ rights and racial injustices. She has used her platform to advocate for equal rights, which won her the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the nation's highest civilian honour- in 2021, as per NBC News.

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She managed to reach an agreement with the US Soccer Federation to pay men's and women's teams equally.

"For us, this is just a huge win in ensuring that we not only right the wrongs of the past but set the next generation up for something we only dreamed of," she said then.

Her detractors have often labelled her as a self-absorbed person who thinks the world revolves around her. In a scathing piece in the New York Post, celebrated journalist Piers Morgan termed her as 'this arrogant, pink-haired, self-promoting prima donna.'

In 2011, Rapinoe tweeted a racist-laden tweet in reference to former US player Natasha Kai by saying, 'U look Asian with those closed eyes.'

The tweet was used as a basis for calling her a hypocrite when she led anti-racism campaigns during the Black Lives Matter campaign.

Farewell Meg

She exits the game having never won a National Women's Super League title despite her vast talents, but her achievements on the international front aren't in question.

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As for her personal comments and campaigns, it comes down to objectivity -whether you are pro or against. Pick a side.

Quick recovery and happy retirement, Megan!