Image courtesy of Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
Claim:
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe is leaving the United States after the massive Republican win in the 2024 elections, saying “I can’t live here anymore.”
On Nov. 10, 2024, the Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub posted a meme stating, “Megan Rapinoe leaves USA after MASSIVE RED WAVE, “I Can’t Live Here Anymore.” The page also shared a link to an article on Esspots with the headline, “TRUE: Megan Rapinoe To Leave America Soon.”
(Facebook user “SpaceX Fanclub”)
The article stated:
Megan isn’t just anyone. She’s a World Cup winner, a fierce advocate for equal rights, and someone with a penchant for striking poses akin to the Statue of Liberty after scoring goals. However, following a barrage of criticism, mostly from folks who believe their experience in FIFA video games qualifies them as soccer analysts, Rapinoe has declared, albeit satirically, her intent to leave.
It began with a tweet, as most modern epics do. “Thinking of leaving the USA. Suggestions for a new home where they appreciate soccer and sarcastic forwards? 🌍✈️🤷♀️ #RespectRapinoe”
The social media world went berserk. Some offered genuine destination suggestions (“Come to Brazil, we love football!”), while others cheekily recommended countries without national soccer teams.
Outside Rapinoe’s residence, signs popped up: “Yard Sale – Everything Must Go! Especially Trophies – Got too many anyway!” Fans, neighbors, and a few lost tourists rummaged through a collection of soccer memorabilia, World Cup jerseys, and of course, hair dye. You can’t be Megan Rapinoe without the iconic pink hair.
Some commenters on Facebook believed the claim to be real, writing “So long , Goodbye, Don’t hate to see you go!!”
However, this item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The meme in question had a “Satire” label on it, The Facebook account SpaceX Fanclub is satirical in nature and states in its Facebook intro: “We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real.”
SpaceX Fanclub is an offshoot of the satirical news site Esspots.com. Its website disclaimer states that all its posts are “entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.”
Esspots also describes its output as being satirical on its About Us page:
Welcome to the US page of Esspots (A Subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News), your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America. Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire.
On this page, you can expect to find all sorts of hilarious stories and parodies about US politics, culture, and society. From outrageous conspiracy theories to outlandish political stunts, we’ve got it all covered.
No other reputable media outlet reported the satirical story about Rapinoe. She has also made no such statement on her X or Instagram accounts.
A few weeks before the election, Rapinoe expressed her support on her podcast for Vice President Kamala Harris and criticized Trump: “I also think we have a really amazing opportunity to elect a Black woman in this country. … It is stressful. I am nervous but I also am hopeful. I believe in people and I certainly believe in women and I believe that people want better than the grim, dark, just violent reality that Donald Trump has very clearly laid out for us.”
Rapinoe also interviewed Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, on the podcast.
Snopes has previously addressed similar claims related to Rapinoe, including the false story that she was disqualified from the “Pro Soccer Hall of Fame” because she knelt for the national anthem.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.
