Professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe has been the topic of news over the past weeks following her final match. Her team, OL Reign, was up against Gotham FC for the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) Final on Nov. 11. However, the loss of that final was not the culprit for the public backlash following it. Rather, her words during a press conference after the game has detonated controversy across the internet. 

Rapinoe has been a long time star of the US Women’s National Team, making her debut in Oct. 2006. She would make a staggering 203 appearances for the national team, scoring 62 goals across various competitions. She, alongside Alex Morgan, her fellow USWNT teammate, have been the face of the team. Rapinoe was also on the cover of the popular video game FIFA during its 2020 release, which marked a big leap towards more gender representation in the sport.

She has also become a very prominent activist for equal pay between male and female athletes, More personally, Rapinoe identifies as a lesbian and has been proudly open about it, paving a bridge between the soccer and LGBTQ+ worlds. 

However, the controversy surrounding her is not due to her actions outside of the sport. Rapinoe had stated earlier in 2023 that her final match as a player would be the last match her club OL Reign would play in the NWSL championship. Tragically, within three minutes of the match starting, Rapinoe suffered an injury to her Achilles and Gotham won by a point. 

Following that match, during a post-game press conference, Megan Rapinoe stated, “I’m not a religious person or anything, and if there was a God, like, this is proof that there isn’t,” in response to her injury. This remark has blown up the internet, with people taking sides on whether this was an appropriate reaction by the star. 

Conservatives deemed it outrageous and a show of her ego. Popular commentator Piers Morgan said, “I’d say it’s more like definitive proof that God does exist…” 

Others deemed it a rightful send-off, for someone who should’ve stepped out of the spotlight both nationally and club, alike. This was especially in the wake of her dreadful performance at the recent 2023 Women’s World Cup, where many believe she was a main reason for the US’s early exit in round 16. 

Either way, it was a tragic way for female soccer star Megan Rapinoe to retire amidst controversy and injury. She achieved so much on and off the pitch despite public criticisms.