The
World Cup champion has been transcendent, on and off the field. Fifa had no other option but to name her the best women’s player on the planet
By the time Megan Rapinoe stood in Stade de Lyon after July’s World Cup final, arms outstretched like a statue one might find at the Musée d’Orsay, it was obvious she had arrived at an apex few of us can ever hope to reach. The heart of a World Cup-winning
USA team that will go down as the greatest ever, Rapinoe was the worthy recipient of Fifa’s The Best award on Monday in the women’s player category.
But a few years ago, it was almost inconceivable that Rapinoe would be standing under the bright lights, hailed as a hero. It appeared Rapinoe’s career was winding down and her best days were behind her – struggles that, in retrospect, propelled her to the stage at Fifa’s awards gala.