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- I think my favorite memory and game, it's sort of all in one, is the quarterfinal against France. I don't know why the organizers didn't rig it to where we met in the final, but that's, I guess, not allowed. Hi, I'm Megan Rapinoe and today I'll be breaking down some of my best moments on and off the field. (upbeat techno music playing) (keyboard tapping) - [Announcer] Rapinoe sends it in the... Goal. US. (crowd cheering) - I mean, that'll be a great video forever. So that was sort of the game everyone had in their mind. It was in Paris. You know, we're really not used to and don't encounter a crowd that's not predominantly rooting for us all the time, even abroad. The French crowd wanted their team to win so bad, but I feel like they also loved us and they were rooting for us in this much larger, more important sense. And obviously that's where the pose came from. I mean, I always try to think of celebrations. The whole point of the game is to score. When people score and they don't celebrate wildly, I actually get really irritated. I'm like, this is literally the whole point. It's defiance but it's also a sort of rallying cry of togetherness. Kind of what I was saying before about the French crowd obviously going for their team, but really with us on so many other issues, and I think that as all of the teams in the World Cup, we're fighting for so much more. So the whole day was just really incredible and it was, I think, the most amazing, energy-filled, electrifying atmosphere I've ever played in. (team chanting) This was the party I was very late to. (laughs) I had to do media, I got drug tested, and I had to do the press conference. But yeah, everybody was already two sheets (laughs) by the time I got there, so yeah, I mean, amazing. Everyone I think was like, where the hell have you been? I'm like, I don't know. I just got here. If we really want to have meaningful change, what I think is most inspiring would be if everybody other than Raheem Sterling and Koulibaly, if they were as outraged about racism as they were. Knowing what a global stage I was going to be on and knowing that a pretty decent part of me winning the award was for a lot of the things that I have said or do off the field or the stances that I have taken, to talk about the issues that really matter to us and that I think are important and an opportunity to always call people out and in, that's a room full of extremely influential people and powerful people, whether it be the president of FIFA, Infantino or Lionel Messi, Federation leaders, whatever it may be, those players and those people lending their voice to it is massive. Honestly, it can't just be the people that are affected by these issues or the oppressed people. - [Interviewer] What do you have to say? - I deserve this. - [Interviewer] What do you deserve, gold? - I deserve this. No, she's really enjoying her champagne, isn't she? I know, it was funny that this went viral. Ashlyn Harris and I have been saying this to each other for a long time, a number of years, sort of as a joke but it's not a joke at all. We really do deserve all of that. I think all women in professional sports, all women, period, deserve much more. It's always telling who's upset by it and who is resonating with it. I think so many women took that as, yeah, I do. I do deserve it or I deserve more. I deserve to be heard. I deserve to celebrate and bask in it all. So to be able to share that not only with our teammates and our staff and all the people in and around the environment, but just looking at people on the path that we were... on the parade path and them screaming back at us, "I deserve this" and we're like, yes, you deserve this. Well, she was in her basketball uniform and she had her hair down. - She was coming from one stage to the next and we kind of crossed, and she was like, "Oh, hey, you ready for your game?" - You know, just something stupid like, "Oh, you ready for the game?" or something stupid. - And I was like (laughs), funny. - You're such a loser. - Why was I cackling the whole time when I watched it back? Ha, I love Sue so much. Really funny, and yes, I'm obsessed with Sue and everyone knows it and she knows it and she pretends like she doesn't love it, but she does. I mean, just from kind of the moment that we met and started talking, it just felt like home. It just felt comfortable, and it just was. It was like it wasn't even a decision either of us made. It just kind of was. And she really keeps me on my toes because she doesn't give out laughs just to anyone, not even me. So when I get a real good laugh, I know that... I'm always like, yes. Even in the moment, I'm like, yes. I feel like this hat works because it's so ridiculous. - You said that you love the collabs. You came to set, flexed on me. Sacais. - Yeah. - We've seen the yellow and the blue... - Yeah. ...but the black, not even out yet. - I know. I know. I do love the fashion. Yeah. I always joke, well, really with everyone, that I'm not really the sportster. It's like I do the sports and then I'm not sporty and I look so ridiculous in all my sports clothes, I feel like. It's kind of the thing that you have to get up and do every day, is to get dressed, and I always have found it as a way to express myself and to either show what mood I'm in or the personality I'm feeling. My Celine black suit is just the best investment ever. The Acne Studios moto jacket, amazing. You can literally wear it with anything and everything. I mean, obviously I have to try to keep up with Sue in the sneaker category. I loved being in the Loewe campaign. I always love going into a fashion space. It's so different than what I'm used to. I always think it's really cool to work with people who are creative and sort of experts in their field. I have no idea how to do any of this stuff so I always love being able to cross over and get into a different kind of world. I like to watch the highlights. (laughs) That's always fun. I definitely don't seek them out. I'm not laying in bed on the YouTubes, but it is really special to be able to have everything so documented and, like I said, look back on all of the memories, so it always brings a big, big smile to my face. These are some of the best moments in my career and really some of the happiest moments of my life. It's like, the whole point is to score the goal and win the game in sports, so to be able to actually accomplish that is nice.

Harper's BAZAAR's June/July cover star, Megan Rapinoe, breaks down the backstory of her most iconic moments on and off the field. Here, the legendary soccer star explains What Really Happened—from her 2019 World Cup victory, to her famous post-goal celebration pose, and her fight for equal pay.

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