‘Love More, Hate Less’: US Soccer Star Rapinoe at Victory Parade

Megan Rapinoe holding the FIFA Women World Cup trophy

(Photo: AP)

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim

Motivational words and a roaring crowd took over New York City as the US Soccer star Megan Rapinoe delivered a rousing speech at the World Cup victory parade.

Megan Rapinoe’s Fiery Speech

Rapinoe is loved not just for her football but for her attitude.

She took the opportunity during her speech at the parade to inspire the crowd to ‘be better, be bigger’. She motivated everyone to ‘love more and hate less’.

“Step outside yourself. Be more, be better, be bigger than you ever been before. If this team is any representation of what you can be when you do that, please take this as an example. This group is incredible. We took so much on our shoulders to be here today, to celebrate with you today. And we did it with a smile. So do the same for us. Please. I ask you.”

Megan Rapinoe, USWNT Player

Rapinoe Calls for Equal Pay

The outspoken star who won awards for the tournament's best player and top scorer, has been a vocal critic of the US Soccer Federation.

The crowds chanted "USA! USA!" and "Equal Pay" as the hour-long parade moved up lower Broadway.

Where the men’s French team got $38 million for winning last year, the women soccer team will get $4 million for winning the World Cup from FIFA, the international soccer governing body.

The US women's team has sued the US Soccer Federation for gender and pay discrimination.

“It’s time to come together. This conversation is that the next step. We have to collaborate. It takes everybody.”

Megan Rapinoe, USWNT Player

‘You Are Excluding People’: Rapinoe To Trump

The night before the parade, Rapinoe sent a message to US President Donald Trump in an interview with Anderson Cooper:

“Your message is excluding people. You’re excluding me, you’re excluding people that look like me, you’re excluding people of colour, you’re excluding Americans that maybe support you... You have an incredible responsibility as the chief of this country to take care of every single person, and you need to do better for everyone.”

In the past, Rapinoe has irked Trump by being one of the few athletes – and the first white athlete – to kneel during the national anthem at sporting events to protest police brutality against black people.

(With inputs from AP)