After dominating the World Cup and becoming a household name, soccer star Megan Rapinoe has been named the 2019 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.
It's the latest in a long list of accolades for Rapinoe, who scored six goals while leading the U.S. to another Women's World Cup title in July.
Sports Illustrated made the announcement Monday morning, accompanied by a cover featuring Rapinoe (with her iconic pink hair) holding a sledgehammer.
As Sports Illustrated noted, she is just the fourth woman in the award's 66-year history to win it by herself. "A feat that is both a remarkable athletic achievement and a reflection of entrenched gender biases," SI's Jenny Vrentas wrote.
Rapinoe became a household name in 2019 during the U.S. Women's World Cup title run and has been a voice on issues of racial and social injustice.
One of three co-captains on the U.S. Women's National Team, Rapinoe joined her teammates in suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for equal pay and declared even before the World Cup started that they wouldn't visit the White House when they won.
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"I feel like I'm being recognized on behalf of the team and everything we do on the field and off the field for reasons of like trying to do better in the world," Rapinoe explained to Sports Illustrated. "That really means a lot to me, cause like yes it's a sports award, you have to go out and perform, but really me winning it I feel like is like a win for the good guys."
