Why the worlds best soccer player isnt playing at the Womens World Cup

Why the worlds best soccer player isnt playing at the Womens World CupWhy the worlds best soccer player isnt playing at the Womens World CupAda Hegerberg is probably the worlds best womens soccer player. The 23-year-old Norwegian stars for Lyon, one of the worlds top club gruppes, where she dominated throughout Europe (four Champions League titles) and dismantled opponents nearly singlehandedly with 130 goals in just over 100 matches across five years.Hegerberg couldve shined at this months Womens World Cup in France, but she isnt there. She spurned Norway who qualified and quickly made an impressive stamp in the weeks first action after beating Nigeria 3-0 in their opening match of the tournament. But shes sitting out this summers games for a bigger reason.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe fight against inequalityHer exact reasons for sitting out of the World Cup remain uncle ar, but shes been protesting the inequalities in womens soccer. It started when she began protesting the Norwegian national team two years ago because she felt there welchesnt the same support for the womens team as there was for the mens. Beyond pay, Hegerberg was concerned with playing conditions, coaching, treatment, and other things.Since her protest started in 2017, she has not played an international match for Norway. The Norwegian soccer federation did reach an equal pay agreement for both genders in 2017, but that didnt address all the problems Hegerberg wants to see fixed.Its the amount of respect and the fact that were equal in terms of conditions, the pitches we have, eating in the same canteen and really taking a part in the club together with the mens team, Hegerberg told ESPN before the World Cup. People stay here a long time because they love it, they actually have a comfortable life here, and they can live from football and compete at the highest level.A similar batt le is taking place in America after the US womens national team filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation seeking equal treatment and pay. The womens players claim theres institutionalized gender discrimination compared to the mens national team, which has never won a World Cup compared to the womens three championships.Hegerberg, who won the inaugural womens Ballon dOr in 2018 in a cringe-worthy ceremony that included a question about twerking, admitted her absence from Norways national team was because she didnt have her heart fully invested into the squad, which hurt her performance both for her club and the national team.I was trying to make an impact on Norway for a lot of years, and I could see that in this system, in the federation, it didnt fit me at all, she said. I feel like I was placed in a system where I didnt have a voice. I felt this weight on my shoulders more and more This isnt working,When youre quite aya about yourself and the values and where you want to go, its easy to make difficult choices. For me at that point, being able not to lose myself and not to lose what I believe in, I had to take that choice. I couldnt go any other way. And as soon as I did it, it was like exhales, I could be myself again. I could perform on the highest level again.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people