FACT CHECK: No, Megan Rapinoe Has Not Been Released From The U.S. Olympic Team After World Cup âBlunderâ
A post shared on Facebook claims U.S. womenâs national team soccer player Megan Rapinoe has been released from the U.S. Olympic team after a FIFA World Cup âblunder.â
Verdict: False
This claim is inaccurate. It originates from a satirical website.
Fact Check:
The U.S. Womenâs National Team (USWNT) made an early exit from the Womenâs World Cup championship on Sunday after losing to Sweden, according to The Hill. Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the loss, stating âWOKE EQUALS FAILURE.â
The Facebook post claims Rapinoe was released from the U.S. Olympic team after a World Cup âblunder.â The post shares a very low-resolution photo of Rapinoe.
The post reads, âUS Olympic Team Releases Megan Rapinoe After World Cup Blunder. ha ha ha. Let her disrespect some other country.â
The claim is inaccurate, however. It stems from an article by the Dunning-Kruger Times titled âUS Olympic Team Releases Megan Rapinoe After World Cup Blunder.â The siteâs âAbout Usâ page reads, âDunning-Kruger-Times.com is a subsidiary of the âAmericaâs Last Line of Defenseâ network of parody, satire, and tomfoolery.â Check Your Fact has previously debunked multiple other claims stemming from this website.
Last month, Rapinoe announced that she will be retiring at the end of the 2023 National Womenâs Soccer League season, according to CNN. However, there are no credible news reports about Rapinoe being released from the U.S. Olympic team. (RELATED: Was Megan Rapinoe Kicked Off The U.S. Womenâs Soccer Team For Assaulting Another Player?)
Check Your Fact has reached out to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, FIFA and Rapinoe for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received from any of these sources.