Megan Rapinoe: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo Could Do More to Fight Racism

United States women's national team star Megan Rapinoe called upon Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to do more to heighten awareness of and address social justice issues.

"They could do so much if they decided to use their stupendous level of popularity to fight racism, for example," Rapinoe said in an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe (h/t Goal's Robin Bairner). "I'm not talking about wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt, I'm talking about going deeper."

Rapinoe added that Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe can make a significant impact as well as one of the faces of the sport for the future: 

"I hope he understands the impact he can have, and how this influence can prove to be formidable for himself. He came into the world with an extraordinary gift which allows him to lead an extraordinary, very comfortable life. Perhaps he can ask himself how to establish a balance, how to inspire youth.

"I hope he understands that he can change the world, that it is not just an empty idea. Sometimes you decide for yourself to change the world, sometimes it falls on you. If you want to be the king, then be the best king you can be."

Rapinoe has been outspoken on social issues in recent years.

The 2019 Ballon d'Or winner showed solidarity with then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick when she knelt during the national anthem prior to a 2016 NWSL game.

She continued with the protest during national team games until U.S. Soccer issued a policy mandating players stand for the anthem, a policy the federation has since rolled back.

During an interview with Eight by Eight magazine, Rapinoe said she was "not going to the f--king White House" in the event the USWNT won the 2019 Women's World Cup (warning: tweet contains profanity):

The squad staged a celebration in New York City rather than take a ceremonial visit to the White House to celebrate their successful World Cup title defense.

Rapinoe was also among the USWNT stars who filed suit against U.S. Soccer, alleging the federation was failing to compensate women's national team players at a rate that equaled their peers on the men's team. A judge ruled in U.S. Soccer's favor in May.