After the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team won their fourth World Cup, Nike issued their own congratulations with an empowering ad called “Never Stop Winning.”
As black and white photos of past and present Women’s team stars flashed across the screen, a female narrator kicked off the ad with a simple chant: “I Believe That We Will Win.”
Then she sounded off on gender equality in sports.
“I believe that we will be four-time champions and keep winning until we not only become the best female soccer team, but the best soccer team in the world,” she exclaims, as images of her team scoring victories continue flashing before viewers’ eyes, “and that a whole generation of girls and boys will go out and play and say things like ‘I want to be like Megan Rapinoe when I grow up,’ and that they’ll be inspired to talk and win and stand up for themselves.”
Speaking up has become a defining strength of the team. The USWNT filed a gender discrimination suit against US Soccer in March for wage discrimination, and players have been vocal on social media about issues of feminism and LGBTQ rights. Megan Rapinoe recently declared the she refuses to visit the White House and stand for the national anthem.
It’s evident that the USWNT believes in their abilities on the soccer field—and their right to a fair and equitable playing field as well. Nike did well not to doubt them for a second. Perhaps US Soccer, and the U.S. President, will soon follow suit.
