海角大神

Wednesday night, the US Women鈥檚 National Soccer Team will play China in New Orleans. This game not only marks the end of the World Cup champions鈥� "Victory Tour," but it is also the final game for one of the team鈥檚 star players: Abby Wambach.聽

The 35-year-old forward boasts a remarkable soccer career, with two Olympic gold medals, a World Cup victory, and the title of FIFA鈥檚 World Player of the Year in 2012. Over the course of her 15-year-long professional career, Wambach has , which is more than any other soccer player 鈥� man or woman.

鈥淚 am so blessed to have been inspired by Abby Wambach as a little girl to one day play on the women鈥檚 national team,鈥� Morgan Brian, Abby鈥檚 teammate on the US Women鈥檚 National Team, told 海角大神 Wednesday.

鈥淎bby is a legend on and off the field. She never ceases to amaze me with her leadership skills, how she treats people, and the things she does on the soccer field that you can鈥檛 teach. Thank you Abby, for all you have done for women鈥檚 soccer and the game,鈥� Brian added.聽

Beyond the field, Wambach has been a powerful advocate for gender equality, a legacy that she plans to continue post-retirement.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 going to get so we can really figure out how to solve the problem of inequality and not just in sports, in every industry 鈥� in Hollywood, in politics, in business, in tech. Enough is enough,鈥� Wambach told Rochester鈥檚 The Democrat and Chronicle. 鈥淚 think at this point in my life that I鈥檓 passionate enough and pissed enough to help make this change.鈥澛�

How does Wambach plan to help? By leveraging her celebrity status.聽

鈥淭he relevancy that I鈥檝e been able to garner over the last couple years , so I鈥檓 taking advantage of it as much as possible,鈥� Wambach told the Democrat and Chronicle.聽

For winning the 2015 Women鈥檚 World Cup, the , far less than the $35 million Germany鈥檚 men鈥檚 team won for winning the 2014 World Cup. More shocking, each men鈥檚 team eliminated in the first round of the 2014 Cup got $8 million, four times as much as the 2015 women鈥檚 champions.聽

And while it strikes many as morally wrong, others argue that it鈥檚 in sports economically because men have far more fans equating to more attendance and sponsorships. But as Wambach points out, the 2015 World Cup proves the tide is turning.聽

鈥淚t was 鈥� 31 million people watched that game. And it鈥檚 by men or women playing the game that we love,鈥� Wambach told National Public Radio. 鈥淚 mean, to me it鈥檚 like hey, sponsors, hey, corporate America, hey, people, did you hear what I just said? Like, more than the men鈥檚 team 鈥� ever.鈥�

Wambach鈥檚 gripe with gender inequality in the sports industry expands past salary.聽

Over a year ago, Wambach led a lawsuit against FIFA and the organizers of the 2015 World Cup for discrimination, 鈥渃laiming that the women when the men鈥檚 tournament demands 鈥� and receives 鈥� grass fields,鈥� The New York Times reported. Although the players eventually dropped the suit so they could focus on the game, the battle for equity is not over.

鈥淸Women鈥檚 soccer] is now better than I found it,鈥� Wambach told the Times. 鈥淭here are that will take this game into the next decade.鈥澛�