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Megan Rapinoe Says Men’s Championships on Same Day as Women’s World Cup Final is ‘Ridiculous’

She sees the lineup of major soccer championships as a yet another slight to the women’s squad.

On the same day that the United States women face the Dutch in the World Cup final, two international men's championships have also been scheduled. The triple lineup of major soccer championships has been seen by some— notably USWNT captain Megan Rapinoe—as a yet another slight to the reigning world champions. Only hours after the U.S. and Netherlands meet, the Copa America, South America’s men’s championship, will be played, and after that, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the men’s title of North and Central America and the Caribbean. “It’s ridiculous, and disappointing, to be honest,” Rapinoe said. According to FIFA, the back-to-back championships will boost attention for all involved. “The scheduling of the different events has gone through a comprehensive consultancy process, which has involved all key stakeholders and taken into account different aspects of the women’s and men’s international match calendars,” the governing body said in a statement.