Megan Rapinoe needs to be on the cover of FIFA 20

Megan Rapinoe took a stand and inspired millions during the 2019 Women’s World Cup. And there isn’t a single footballer who has a better case for being on the FIFA 20 cover this year.

The USWNT was tested throughout the 2019 Women’s World Cup, but they successfully defended their 2015 title to win their fourth ever championship. And nobody may have been more important to their success on the field than Megan Rapinoe, who scored both of the team’s goals in their 2-1 victories over Spain and France in the first two games of the knockout stages.

A born leader, Rapinoe inspired countless fans globally by taking a stand against bigotry. An openly lesbian footballer at a time when homophobic abuse is still rampant both in society and on the football pitch, Rapinoe has demanded better from the United States president, FIFA, the United States Soccer Federation, and each of us as individuals.

Rapinoe is also an incredible footballer. At this year’s World Cup, Rapinoe took home both Golden Boot and Golden Ball honors, leading all players with a whopping 1.68 goals and assists per 90 minutes with a total of six goals and three assists.

She’s long been a star on the national team and at her club Reign FC, providing inch-perfect crosses from the left while also dazzling with her dribbling skills. Of course, Rapinoe’s elite finishing and cool head in front of goal make her a dangerous scoring option; she’s just as likely to score from a set piece as she is to set up a teammate.

All of this points to one thing: there isn’t a single football player on this planet who, right now, is more befitting of the honor of being the FIFA 20 cover star.

FIFA 20 has a cover problem. Last year’s cover stars, Cristiano Ronaldo and then Neymar, are both dealing with rape allegations. While Ronaldo and Neymar are indisputably great players on the pitch, they should not be representatives of the FIFA brand. This is a game played by children across the world and increases a child’s love for “The Beautiful Game”. So it is incredibly important for FIFA to choose the best possible representative as their cover star.

To that point, because so many kids across the world play FIFA, it’s important for them to feel represented. In the history of FIFA video games, which began in 1993, there has never been a sole female cover star.

Yes, Alex Morgan was on the cover of FIFA 16 after the USWNT won the 2015 Women’s World Cup. But she had to share the cover – and the spotlight – with Lionel Messi.

Megan Rapinoe transcends the sport as an activist and is pushing football towards much-needed change. She shouldn’t have to share the spotlight with anyone. More importantly, no woman who is on the cover of FIFA should have to share that honor. Because that isn’t true representation. How many men have had to share the FIFA cover? Exactly.

It’s time for FIFA to start caring more about the women’s game in their own franchise, which doesn’t allow the creation of women’s footballers despite finally having a “The Journey” mode with a woman as a playable character. It also doesn’t include the club teams of women’s teams and only a select number of national teams.

An important first step towards equality is putting a woman on the cover of FIFA without a man – not even Messi – taking that spotlight away from her. And there’s no better time than now to make that happen.

And there’s no better person for this honor than Rapinoe, whose class on and off the pitch throughout her career merits the FIFA 20 cover. She became the conversation in football during the World Cup with her goals and assists on the pitch and her push towards change off of it. Rapinoe is the perfect FIFA 20 cover star.

Update: There’s a Change.org petition, started by Darren Holland, with over 1,000 signees calling for Rapinoe to cover FIFA 20 too.