The 2019 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year honor was awarded to the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT). This recognition celebrated their dominant performance during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, their role as cultural icons, and their sustained advocacy for equal pay and gender parity in professional sports.
Understanding the Significance of the Award
The Sports Illustrated (SI) Sportsperson of the Year is an annual accolade presented to the athlete, team, or group of athletes whose performance and persona have most captured the spirit of the year’s sports landscape. Since its inception in 1954, the award has evolved from a purely athletic achievement metric to one that considers cultural influence, societal impact, and the broader narrative of sportsmanship.
When the editors at Sports Illustrated selected the USWNT for the 2019 title, they were responding to a watershed moment in global sports history. The team did not merely win a tournament; they became the focal point of a global conversation regarding gender equity, the commercial viability of women’s athletics, and the intersection of sports and social activism.
The Path to the 2019 World Cup
To understand why the USWNT was chosen, one must look at the specific competitive environment they navigated. The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup was characterized by a massive surge in international interest, media coverage, and attendance. The USWNT entered the tournament as the defending champions, facing immense pressure to repeat their success under the stewardship of head coach Jill Ellis.
Their journey was marked by a series of decisive victories. From the record-breaking 13–0 opening win against Thailand to the tactical chess matches against squads like France and England, the team showcased a level of depth that few opponents could match. The final match against the Netherlands solidified their legacy, resulting in a 2–0 victory that secured their fourth World Cup title. This achievement tied them for the most World Cup wins in the history of the sport, solidifying their status as the preeminent force in international women’s soccer.
The Equal Pay Advocacy
Beyond the grass of the pitch, the team’s influence was cemented by their legal and public battle for equal pay. In March 2019, shortly before the World Cup began, the entire 28-player roster filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), alleging institutionalized gender discrimination.
This action shifted the narrative of the tournament. The players were not just athletes; they were plaintiffs representing a broader class of women fighting for fair compensation. Their vocal insistence that their success—which consistently outperformed the men’s national team in terms of revenue and competitive accolades—should be reflected in their pay structure turned every victory into a political statement. This advocacy resonated with a global audience, transforming the USWNT into a symbol of the fight for workplace equality, a sentiment that resonated far beyond the confines of the soccer stadium.
Comparative Impact of the 2019 Candidates
While the USWNT was the clear choice for the 2019 honor, understanding the scope of the decision requires looking at how they compared to other potential candidates in that high-profile sports year.
| Candidate / Team | Primary Achievement | Rationale for Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| USWNT | 2019 World Cup Champions | Unmatched dominance, cultural impact, and advocacy. |
| Tiger Woods | Masters Tournament Win | A historic comeback after years of injury and adversity. |
| Kawhi Leonard | NBA Finals MVP | Leading the Toronto Raptors to their first-ever NBA title. |
| Simone Biles | World Championship Dominance | Continued evolution and rewriting of gymnastics history. |
| Lamar Jackson | NFL MVP Season | Redefining the quarterback position through dual-threat skill. |
As shown in the table, 2019 featured singular performances of immense individual talent. However, the decision to award the honor to the USWNT reflects a specific editorial philosophy: that a team embodying a collective movement for societal change often creates a deeper, more lasting legacy than individual statistical mastery.
Cultural Legacy and Public Perception
The 2019 USWNT left an indelible mark on the sporting culture of the United States. Following the victory, the team enjoyed a level of mainstream media penetration rarely seen in soccer. They appeared on late-night talk shows, were featured on the cover of numerous magazines, and their names became household terms among casual fans and sports enthusiasts alike.
However, the team was also the subject of intense debate. Their vocal nature and willingness to challenge the governing body of their own sport alienated some viewers who preferred sports to remain separate from social discourse. Sports Illustrated’s decision to honor them acknowledged this polarization as a feature of their modern influence rather than a flaw. By selecting the team, the publication effectively stated that the "Sportsperson of the Year" is not just about who performed best, but who dominated the discourse.
Requirements and Expectations for Winners
The selection process for the Sportsperson of the Year remains internal to the editorial team at Sports Illustrated. Historically, winners are expected to possess three core attributes:
- Unquestioned Excellence: The candidate must be at the top of their field, usually having won a major championship or broken significant records.
- Sportsmanship and Character: While controversies occasionally arise, the honoree is expected to embody the spirit of the game.
- Beyond-the-Game Influence: The winner should have a demonstrable impact on the broader culture, whether through humanitarian efforts, advocacy, or changing the way their sport is played or consumed.
The USWNT satisfied all three criteria in 2019. Their dominance on the field was statistically verified, their advocacy was highly structured and public, and their presence elevated the global profile of women’s sports in a way that had lasting economic and organizational consequences.
Analyzing the Long-Term Effects (2026 Perspective)
Looking back from the vantage point of 2026, it is clear that the 2019 award served as a pivot point for women’s sports media coverage. The media environment for the 2023 and 2027 World Cup cycles, as well as the growth of professional domestic leagues, owes a significant debt to the platform that the 2019 team utilized.
The legal battle regarding equal pay eventually reached a settlement in 2022, which saw the USSF commit to equal pay structures for the men’s and women’s national teams. The visibility generated during their 2019 Sportsperson of the Year reign played an essential role in keeping the pressure on the federation and corporate sponsors. Today, the team is remembered not only for the fourth star on their jersey but for the institutional changes they forced.
Common Questions Regarding the Award
Was the 2019 Sportsperson of the Year award solely for the 2019 World Cup? While the World Cup victory was the primary driver, the award also factored in the team's ongoing campaign for gender equity. The performance was the catalyst, but the impact was the defining characteristic of the selection.
How many times have teams won the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year? Winning as a team is relatively rare but not unprecedented. The magazine historically favors individual athletes, but when a group achieves something that fundamentally changes the cultural landscape of their sport, they are considered.
Did the 2019 award change how Sports Illustrated chooses winners? It reinforced a trend toward selecting figures who represent larger movements. Following 2019, the publication continued to weigh societal impact heavily alongside raw athletic statistics, moving away from purely "best performance" metrics.
Was the decision to pick a team controversial? Yes, primarily because it diverged from years where individual legends like Tiger Woods were seen as having "story of the year" potential. However, the USWNT's cultural footprint was significantly larger than any individual athlete's in 2019.
Are there prerequisites for becoming a Sportsperson of the Year? There are no formal eligibility requirements other than being a participant in a sport covered by the publication. The choice remains an editorial decision based on the discretion of the SI staff.
Final Guidance for Readers
For those interested in the history of this award, it is essential to read the long-form journalism published by Sports Illustrated during the December 2019 issue. The profile written on the team provides firsthand insight into the team chemistry and the strategic mindset of players like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Carli Lloyd.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the year, compare the coverage of the USWNT with the runners-up profiles from that same issue. This provides a balanced view of the high-level competition that defined the decade. If you are researching this topic for academic or historical purposes, rely on the official records of the FIFA tournament outcomes alongside the legal filings from the equal pay lawsuit to ground your research in factual, verifiable events.
