The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team clinched its fourth World Cup title today at the Stade de Lyon in Décines, outside Lyon, France, defeating the Netherlands in a 2-0 victory.
Co-captain and outspoken vegan animal rights activist Alex Morgan celebrated the victory on Instagram. “I think I’m in love,” Morgan wrote on her post, adding in all caps “WORLD CHAMPS, BABY”. She’s pictured kissing the trophy.
“It was the fifth time the United States Women’s National Team played a World Cup final (there have been only eight tournaments),” NPR reported. “The U.S. is the first team to reach three consecutive finals and joins Germany as a repeat champion (2003 and 2007). With the win, the U.S. has a record four Women’s World Cup trophies.”
Morgan won a gold medal during the 2012 Summer Olympics. She’s only the second player in Women’s World Cup history to score five goals, clinching that title in a defeat over Thailand earlier this season.
Megan Rapinoe, Morgan’s co-captain scored and won both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards.
“We’re crazy, that’s what makes us special,” she told BBC in a post-win interview. “We have no quit in us, we’re so tight and we’ll do anything to win.
“It’s unbelievable just to know all of the people in our group that put in so much work: the players, our friends and family are here, it’s surreal. I don’t know how to feel right now, it’s ridiculous.”
Rapinoe is an outspoken advocate for gender and racial inequality and LGBTQ rights. But she’s been criticized for not singing along to the “Star-Spangled Banner” during the Women’s World Cup. Like former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Rapinoe knelt during the national anthem before two U.S. games in 2016 as a protest to what she called “senseless violence” in America.
In a Washington Post op-ed, columnist Jerry Brewer said Morgan and Rapinoe are part of a “movement” in women’s sports.
“This is their time. With every bold act, with every display of strength, with every exhibition of excellence, the intensity of a new movement increases,” he wrote.
“The nerve of the U.S. women’s soccer team is part of something that has been building. If you’re looking for quiet and docile female athletes who accept progress at a snail’s speed, you might as well ask for directions to Mayberry, too. Change isn’t coming. It is already here.”
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Vegan for the Animals
Morgan told Reuters earlier this year that she spends her philanthropic time and money on supporting children and animals, noting that she supports the ASPCA because she is passionate “about giving animals a voice.”
“I even adopted a vegan diet, because it didn’t feel fair to have a dog I adore, and yet eat meat all the time,” she said.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) named Morgan the “Most Beautiful” vegan celebrity last month alongside NBA point guard Kyrie Irving.
“Alex Morgan and Kyrie Irving are saving animals not only by keeping them off their plates but also by showing the world what they can do on vegan fuel,” PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said in a statement. “They’re living proof that the future of professional sports is vegan.”
The soccer star appeared in a campaign for PETA in 2018 talking about adopting rescue animals and how they become part of the family.
“There are so many animals on the streets and so many animals that aren’t able to live the life that they should be able to live, so I wanted to be able to adopt a dog. Animals should always be a part of the family and be taken care of just as any child would be.”
