Megan Rapinoe Calls On Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi To Support Fight Against Racism

The Reign captain has argued that everybody is responsible for making change happen, saying that "we must use our own voice to stop discrimination."

"We are all responsible, we must use our own voice to stop discrimination, to stop those we face.

"It really is not up to the people who are already oppressed to make sure they shut down a system they are going through. This is not how there will be real social change. We know there must be everyone's collaboration.

"We saw that in the United States."

However, the 2019 Women's Ballon d'Or winner singled out the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann to do more with their respective popularity and platforms.

Rapinoe added: "I think Rashford and the others in England and elsewhere have done amazing things.

"...When you see the commitment of certain athletes, like Serena Williams and LeBron James here in the United States.

"It is important that people listen to Rashford, [Lionel] Messi, or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Antoine] Griezmann... It is important to understand that always they will be seen as global models.

"As people listen, use this platform for good. You saw what Rashford did in his country, it had an incredible impact, especially during the pandemic. That doesn't mean that you have to talk about all the problems all the time.

"Find something that you are passionate about, use your power and influence because you can really make a big impact as a great soccer player."