Women's World Cup: United States welcomed home by thousands of fans in New York
- Published
Rapinoe demands equal pay for 'badass team'
Tens of thousands of fans lined the streets of New York on Wednesday to greet the the United States' Women's World Cup-winning team.
The USA beat the Netherlands 2-0 in Sunday's final in France to win the competition for a fourth time and retain the title they won in 2015.
Floats and an open-top bus took the players, who wore black T-shirts emblazoned with 'World Champions' in gold letters, through the streets of Lower Manhattan to a ceremony at City Hall, where they received a ticker-tape reception.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the players on one of the floats and later hosted the US team in a ceremony at City Hall to present them with the "keys to the city".
Some fans chanted "equal pay" when the players took to the stage, a reference to the fact the women's team is suing the US Soccer Federation to demand equal pay with their male counterparts.
On Tuesday, Megan Rapinoe, who was the top goalscorer in the competition and won the Golden Ball for being the tournament's best player, said she believed none of the United States' players would visit US President Donald Trump at the White House.
"I would not go, and every team-mate I've talked to explicitly about it would not go," Rapinoe told CNN.
"I don't think anyone on the team has any interest in lending the platform that we've worked so hard to build, the things we fight for, the way we live our life, I don't think we want that to be co-opted or corrupted by this administration."
The United States players received a ticker-tape reception outside City Hall in New York
Megan Rapinoe, who was the tournament's top goalscorer and named best player, poses with the World Cup trophy
The United States won all seven of their matches at the Women's World Cup
The United States team headed to the New York City Hall for the main part of the celebrations
Alex Morgan, who scored six goals in the tournament including five in one match versus Thailand, spoke to some of the gathering media
Megan Rapinoe seemed shocked at the number of people who had greeted the team
The United States have won the Women's World Cup in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019
Fans young and old lined the streets of New York to celebrate the United States' victory
The United States eliminated England in the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup
The United States are the most successful nation in the history of the Women's World Cup
Rapinoe was one of the players to speak to the fans at the parade at City Hall
A ticker-tape parade greeted the American World Cup winners
'Thanks for being such a strong inspiration'
Former United States president Barack Obama praised the team and called them "such a strong inspiration"
BBC Sport has launched #ChangeTheGame this summer to showcase female athletes in a way they never have been before. Through more live women's sport available to watch across the BBC this summer, complemented by our journalism, we are aiming to turn up the volume on women's sport and alter perceptions. Find out more here.