The “Mary Queen of Stops”, Mary Earps, of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is making waves on the internet after the football star slams Nike following a controversial decision. Fans of the premiered goalkeeper are also supporting her in the battle against the sportswear giant. But, how did it ever come to this after such a fantastic tournament run for Earps and England?
Mary Earps wins the Golden Glove despite losing to Spain in the FIFA World Cup Final
England fought Spain in the World Cup Final in a tense battle. Despite Mary Earps’ heroics as she stopped a Jenni Hermoso (Spain) penalty kick in the 68th minute, they still fell short and lost 1-0. However, Earps’ stellar performance did not go unnoticed and was instead rewarded with the coveted Golden Glove award. Her fans celebrated the recognition and called Mary Earps a “national hero”.
Mary Earps will go down as an England legend 🧤 pic.twitter.com/aDCdbifbmU
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) August 20, 2023
Surprisingly, Earps’ Final appearance, penalty kick save, nor the Golden Glove Award isn’t the highlight of the World Cup
Before the FIFA tournament even started, the popular sportswear apparel brand Nike made a very controversial decision. The company was very firm on its refusal to create replica jerseys for goalkeepers, even for the Manchester United star, Mary Earps. Aside from Nike, Adidas (who sponsors Spain), followed suit. Well, that decision was met with heavy criticism from fans and even Earps herself. Because of that, Nike released a statement following the backlash the company is getting.
“Nike is committed to women’s football and we’re excited by the passion around this year’s tournament and the incredible win by the Lionesses to make it into the final. We are proudly offering the best of Nike innovation and services to our federation partners and hundreds of athletes. We hear and understand the desire for a retail version of a goalkeeper jersey and we are working towards solutions for future tournaments, in partnership with Fifa and the federations. The fact that there’s a conversation on this topic is testament to the continued passion and energy around the women’s game and we believe that’s encouraging.”
Meanwhile, Mary Earps learned about Nike’s statement and quickly dissed the sportswear brand. On her official Instagram account, Earps called out Nike with the caption: “@Nike, is this your version of an apology/taking accountability/a powerful statement of intent?”
Petition circulates as Mary Earps vs. Nike Controversy goes Viral
After the controversy between Mary Earps and Nike made rounds on the internet, an online petition was made by the football star‘s fans. The petition, made by Emma Louisa about a week ago, now has more than 130,000 signatures. With this, everyone wants to force Nike and Adidas to revert their decision on not selling female goalkeepers’ merch. On the website, Louisa wrote “We need to unite, and demand this decision is over turned. We need to show togetherness and support Mary and ask Nike to rethink their decision. Let’s make them see just how important our female goalkeepers are. How respected they are and how many young girls aspire to join them in the future.”
To sign the petition, follow this link: change.org
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