“Killed Herself Before Sentencing” – US Soccer Legend Megan Rapinoe Penned Down Stern Words Over Iran’s Women Intolerance

Megan Rapinoe is well known for her outspoken nature. Two-time Women’s World Cup winner is an advocate of the civil rights of people throughout the world. She has strived for social change to date.

Rapinoe was vocal on Black Lives Matter and equal pay for men’s and women’s soccer players. She has often attracted controversies. Who can forget 2016 when she took a knee during the national anthem? She is not only a soccer icon but also stands for change. She went on to publish “One Life,” a book in which she wrote on various social issues across the world.

Megan Rapinoe on Women’s Intolerance in her book

Megan Rapinoe, in her book ‘One Life’, wrote about her childhood, achievements in sports, and various incidents relating to social issues in the world. One such incident came from Iran, where she shared a story of a 22-year-old girl sentenced to prison for watching a soccer match. It devastated her to know how the story of the girls ended.

Rapinoe wrote, “In September, I won the Best FIFA Women’s Player of the Year award and flew to Milan for the ceremony. Onstage, I spoke about how important it was to back one another up. I mentioned Collin Martin, one of the few male soccer players to have come out as gay, and Sahar Khodayari, an Iranian woman who, after facing a prison sentence for trying to watch a soccer match in a country where women are largely banned from being spectators, had killed herself before sentencing.”

Women intolerance in Iran is a long-standing issue, and soccer stars, for instance, Rapinoe, have been advocating this to date. People of Iran are currently protesting on various issues, with the dress code being the prominent one. Iran’s national team players refused to sing the national anthem in a World Cup match. Fans were booing at the national anthem before the England game.

Megan Rapinoe’s achievements on the field

Megan Rapinoe is a star not only, off the field but also on the field. She won various accolades during her international tenure with USWNT. On an individual level, 2019 was her peak when she won Balon d’Or, FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Ball, and Golden Foot awards.

With USWNT she won the Women’s World Cup twice (2015, 2019), Olympic Gold Medal (2012), and CONCACAF Women’s Championship (2014, 2018, 2022). In 197 caps for USWNT, she scored 63 goals.

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Currently, she plays for OL Reign in NWSL since the 2014-2015 season. She started her senior career with Chicago Red Stars in the 2009-10 season.

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Let us know your thoughts on how Megan Rapinoe has performed on the field and her off-the-field fight for the rights of an individual.