A great moment in unrecognized footballers
Soccer’s popularity has grown immensely in the United States and Canada in recent years, but the majority of people in these countries still have no idea who the game’s biggest stars are. Many players, tired of being constantly hassled in their home countries, find this both endearing and refreshing. And new Chicago Fire signing Bastian Schweinsteiger appears to be one of them.
A woman in Toronto asked him for a picture, but she meant for him to take one of her with his teammates. He smiled and obliged.
This poor lady asked for a picture with the @ChicagoFire players…if she only knew Let's get 3 2moro! ⚽️#cf97
Previously in foreign stars going unrecognized in North America, there was the time when the LA Galaxy’s Robbie Keane was labeled an “unidentified fan” in a picture with then teammate David Beckham and comedian Russell Brand.
But this doesn’t just happen here. In a far more shameful example of footballers going unrecognized, there was the time ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter couldn’t identify Alex Morgan at the 2012 Ballon d’Or gala, even though she was one of three finalists for the evening’s World Player of the Year award.
From Time:
“I have experienced sexism multiple times, and I’m sure I will a lot more,” she said. “I feel like I’m fighting for female athletes. At the FIFA World Player of the Year event [in 2012], FIFA executives and FIFA president Sepp Blatter didn’t know who I was. And I was being honored as top three in the world. That was pretty shocking.”
Sepp Blatter: Always the worst.
