The United States has won the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup with a decisive 2-0 victory over the Netherlands, making them back-to-back world champions and heroes to a new generation of football-mad Americans.
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The scores were level until the second half when the USA’s talismanic co-captain Megan Rapinoe fired from the spot to notch the lead. Rose Lavelle doubled their lead just eight minutes later, securing their fourth World Cup overall.
Their win was somehow more than just an addition to the trophy cabinet, as fans celebrated the excellence of American women at a moment of distinct ignominy for their home nation.
As the dust settled in Lyon, France, fans chanted “equal pay” at FIFA president Gianni Infantino, in reference to the relatively meagre prize pool of AUD $43M million offered in the Women’s World Cup. By contrast, the men who played in the 2018 World Cup were competing for roughly AUD $573 million.
The #FIFA president just walked in along with President @EmmanuelMacron and #EqualPay is chanted in unison in the stadium. pic.twitter.com/9HW4058tNo
— Bénédicte Demarle (@BDemarle) July 7, 2019
Infantino on the stage. Whole stadium chants “EQUAL PAY” #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/WIn9OCMdbU
— Lou (@loutalksfutbol) July 7, 2019
“Equal pay” chants all around the stadium as FIFA President Gianni Infantino enters the pitch.#FIFAWWC #USANED pic.twitter.com/4v9MXpsqug
— Hecko Flores (@hecko90) July 7, 2019
Rapinoe, who has long advocated for her compatriots to receive prize money equal to that of male footballers, supported the chants. Speaking to reporters after the match, the champ said “It’s time to take it forward to the next step.
“A little public shame never hurt anybody, right? I’m down with the boos.”
That was not the only American chant heard in France, though. A Fox News live cross from a Lyon sports bar was interrupted by emphatic chants of “Fuck [Donald] Trump,” a clear rebuke of the president who verbally sparred with Rapinoe after the athlete said she wouldn’t visit the White House if her team won.
Fox News did a live shot from a sports bar in Frace where the US fans started chanting “Fuck Trump” pic.twitter.com/ZTHyFBOYR5
— jordan (@JordanUhl) July 7, 2019
Although Trump congratulated the team on Twitter, their win would have been fine without his input. After all, a lesbian advocate for equal pay, who has mirrored Colin Kaepernick‘s anthem protest, just helped her team to international glory. Again.
