EDITORIAL – Last Season’s NWSL Championship was planned as a climactic finish to Megan Rapinoe’s professional career. The result was ultimately anti-climactic when Rapinoe tore her Achilles tendon three minutes in. For a player as polarizing as Rapinoe, it allowed many political grifters in fringe media to rejoice in her injury. Many who already considered her and her teammates unpatriotic after an early World Cup exit were beside themselves when she jokingly suggested that her injury was evidence there was no god. “I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a God, this is proof that there isn’t,” Rapinoe said in her post-game press conference.
Korbin Albert Apologized on Instagram
At some point after that, 20-year-old phenom and PSG midfielder Korbin Albert liked a meme on Instagram that had the text (source: Emma Hruby of Just Women’s Sports): “God taking time off performing miracles to make sure Megan Rapinoe sprains her ankle in her final ever game”. Recently evidence of her liking these posts along with other transphobic and homophobic posts with religious overtones surfaced. Megan Rapinoe was quick to respond to this which was followed by an apology equally as swift by Albert.
Korbin Albert has issued a statement on her Instagram story addressing her social media activity which included sharing posts with transphobic and homophobic views on TikTok. Megan Rapinoe made a statement earlier today that’s been shared by many former and current USWNT players. pic.twitter.com/wY2trL3Py2
— Claire Watkins (@ScoutRipley) March 28, 2024
Rapinoe signed off on the statement “Yours Truly, #15” (as seen in the above X Account). After Rapinoe’s retirement, Albert has been donning the number 15 which was Rapinoe’s throughout her career. This along with the cosigning of the response by other national team legends like Becky Sauerbrunn highlight how Korbin Albert disrespected country and team.
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After a standout performance for Notre Dame in both her Freshman and Sophomore years, Albert started playing with Paris Saint Germain in France. This is an unprecedented career trajectory for a 20-year-old. Her overseas success has also coincided with her seven international caps for the USWNT since 2023. The national team has seen many mainstays retire in recent years which means that Albert has all but seemed to secure herself as a replacement for Rapinoe.
What This Means in the Current Political Climate
However, besides seeing Korbin Albert disrespect country with her mistakes, She has alienated what made her number’s predecessor an icon. Rapinoe has been a brash and outspoken advocate for many social causes including those involving the LGBTQIA+ community. Rapinoe has also been open about her own sexuality and sees her activism as an extension of her core beliefs.
In today’s current political climate, narratives of patriotism have been hijacked with an incorrect assumption that this country was founded with Christian values. Our country’s religious freedoms actually stem from the founding of the nation taking place during a period of great enlightenment from revolutionary activists and scholars. All this to say that Korbin Albert has equal freedoms as a Christian as Megan Rapinoe does for someone who even jokingly discredits the existence of god. No more no less.
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Albert is only 20 years old. She has grown up in an age where the consequences of what is said on social media are not felt until one goes through it. It is difficult to speculate if anyone at that age can truly learn and change behavior like that. But, if incoming head coach Emma Hayes wants to win her locker room in time for the upcoming Olympics, there might have to be some harsh executive decisions given the context.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports, of a Korbin Albert Headshot, on March 3, 2024.
