Megan Rapinoe has been accused of leading a “shameful” snub of the American national anthem at the FIFA Women’s World Cup

Megan Rapinoe has been accused of leading a “shameful” snub of the American national anthem at the FIFA Women’s World Cup which is currently being held in Australia and New Zealand.

The majority of the defending champions’ line-up has refused to sing the anthem in their group stage matches against Vietnam, The Netherlands, and Portugal.

Alex Morgan, Julie Ertz and Lindsey Horan were the only three players who were singing the Star-Spangled Banner before the 0-0 draw against Portugal on Tuesday (August 1).

The muted response also prompted anger among some American fans on social media as they criticised them for showing a lack of respect.

Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medallist, stated in 2019 that she would “never put my hand over my heart” and “never sing the national anthem again”.

The 38-year-old, an outspoken advocate for LGBT+ rights and gender equality, playing in her final World Cup, was among the first high-profile female athletes to take the knee during the anthem from 2016.

She did so to express solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who took the knee before National Football League matches to raise awareness of police brutality and racial injustice.

US Soccer voted in 2020 to overturn a rule which required players to stand during the national anthem after it was put in place in 2017 following the pitch protests.

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