Megan Rapinoe: Fifa insults women by nominating student for player of year
Venezuela’s Deyna Castellanos currently plays for college team
In contrast, male shortlist consists of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar
The USA international Megan Rapinoe has attacked Fifa after it named a teenage student on its three-person shortlist for the female player of the year award.
Venezuela’s Deyna Castellanos has not represented her country at senior international level, and plays most of her football for Florida State University. She is on Fifa’s shortlist alongside World Cup winner Carli Lloyd and Holland forward Lieke Martens.
“The award just doesn’t hold a lot of weight when you’ve got someone on the list I’ve never heard of,” said Rapinoe, who has won an Olympic gold and World Cup with the US. She added: “It signals to us and it signals to the rest of the world that Fifa doesn’t really care.”
Fifa said it is not solely responsible for the shortlist: national team coaches and captains, journalists and fans all have a say on the nominations. “The process is clear and transparent and we are not involved in the final selection of nominees,” Fifa said in a statement. “However, we have taken note of the concerns raised by the football community and our fans and will take this feedback on board in future editions of The Best Awards.”
In contrast, the male shortlist consists of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. “If some random male player, who was not even a full professional, was nominated, I’m sure [Fifa] would step in for that, so it’s disappointing that the same hasn’t been done for us,” Rapinoe said.
Castellanos, who is studying for a degree in communications, expressed shock when she was nominated. She may have been in the voters’ minds after she scored a stunning goal for the Venezuela Under-17s against Cameroon: the strike has been nominated for Puskas Award for goal of the year.
Australia’s Sam Kerr, who was a strong candidate for the shortlist, was nonplussed after missing out on a nomination. “Not surprised really, it’s Fifa,” she said at an event in Australia this month.
Rapinoe is known for her outspoken views. Last year, she became the first white athlete to kneel for the US national anthem – a movement started by NFL players protesting against social injustice in the United States. “God forbid you be a gay woman and a person of color in [America], because you’d be really fucked,” she told the Guardian in March.
