Megan Rapinoe Endorses Elizabeth Warren For President
(CNN) -- Soccer icon and social activist Megan Rapinoe on Friday endorsed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president in 2020.
"I truly believe the best things in life are a result of being bold and being real," Rapinoe tweeted. "I'm proud to endorse Elizabeth Warren today, for being bold, for being real, for listening to ALL of us, and for being prepared to navigate the unique challenges we face today as a country."
Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup champion, was named Sports Illustrated's 2019 Sportsperson of the Year earlier this week. She led the US Women's National Team to victory as a co-captain in the World Cup in July. Rapinoe also won the Ballon d'Or award last week, given annually to the world's best soccer players.
"I just don't think we can get to a better place by walking this moderate line, so I appreciate you being out front and being big and bold with that," Rapinoe told Warren in a video posted to Twitter.
Warren said in a statement: "Megan is a champion of justice on and off the field and a role model for women and girls everywhere. I am honored to have her endorsement, and look forward to fighting alongside her for big, structural change."
Rapinoe is a fierce advocate for women's rights, and has been one of the leading soccer players in the fight for equal pay. The soccer star has also been outspoken on social justice issues.
She is one of several players who sued the United States Soccer Federation alleging gender discrimination. The federal class-action lawsuit against the soccer federation alleges the men's national team earns more than the women's team, even though the women play more games and win more matches.
In 2016, she was among the first white professional athletes to show solidarity with professional football player Colin Kaepernick when media first began reporting on his kneeling during the national anthem to protest the police shootings of African American men and other social injustices faced by black people in the United States.
The soccer star has been critical of President Donald Trump, and made headlines earlier this year when she said she would not go to the White House if her team won the World Cup.
Warren told Rapinoe in the video posted to Twitter that the Sportsperson of the Year title was "well-deserved, because you get out there and you both lead your team on the field, but you also help lead America off the field, and that's really important."
Rapinoe said she would love to help Warren's team in any way she can, "so consider me Team Warren."
"I think we got this, Megan," Warren said.
"Well we have a little saying on the National Team that we like to say, I don't know if you can cuss on here, but it's LFG. So, let's do this," Rapinoe said.
Warren laughed and said, "Let's do this. Alright Megan, you and me, LFG."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
