via Getty
LYON, FRANCE – JULY 07: Megan Rapinoe of the USA poses for a photograph with the Golden Boot award and the Golden Ball award following the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
via Getty
LYON, FRANCE – JULY 07: Megan Rapinoe of the USA poses for a photograph with the Golden Boot award and the Golden Ball award following the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The US Women’s national soccer team is one of the most dominant teams in international football. They have won four World cups and four Olympic Gold Medals, with their latest one coming in 2012. Since then, the competition has increased, and USWNT star Megan Rapinoe knows who their toughest challenger is.
This season, the Ballon d’Or Feminin winner was a Spanish player named Alexia Puttelas, who is a midfielder for FC Barcelona. Regarded as the best female player in the world last season, she helped FC Barcelona win the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
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Megan Rapinoe on Spain being a contender for the world cup
Rapinoe talked about Putellas’s Ballon d’Or win in a podcast episode with Yael Averbuch West for 90min. She talked about Putellas being the worthy winner of the award and complimented the Spanish team for pushing the boundary a lot, also adding that the national team is one tough opponent.
“Alexia taking home the Ballon d’Or, the best player this year, so well deserved. I think the Spanish are really pushing the boundary a lot. They’re always horribly frustrating to play against,” Rapinoe said.
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Notably, Rapinoe is a Ballon d’Or winner herself and is enjoying a good season in the MLS with OL Reign. In fact, Rapinoe was the current holder of the award until Putellas won it this season.
Rapinoe vs. Alexia Puttelas, who had the better stats during their Ballon d’Or feminine winning season?
Rapinoe had a good season with OL Reign in 2018, when the world cup was just a year away. She, along with her international teammate Alex Morgan, put on a show for the USWNT and clinched another world cup in 2019.
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Rapinoe scored six goals in the world cup and her goals in the final and the quarter-finals of the competition were vital to her Ballon d’Or win.
"We have to start allowing players to have financial freedom and power over their own lives."
To improve the NWSL, @mPinoe says it has to start with player salaries. 🙌
Presented by @DrinkBODYARMOR | 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐚 | Click below for the full podcast. 👇🎙️ pic.twitter.com/6v31DfyAiv
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As for Putellas, she scored 18 times in 31 matches last season. She has also added to that tally with an impressive nine goals in ten games for FC Barcelona this season.
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