And just in case that wasn't already evident, FIFA crowned France's brightest star with its two highest honours, ensuring the 2019 tournament will forever be remembered for the lavender-haired American captain.

After scoring in Monday's (AEST) World Cup final to secure a 2-0 win over Netherlands, Rapinoe was handed the Golden Ball as the best player in France, and the Golden Boot as the leading scorer.

And she used her already gigantic platform to double down on her role as American campaigner-in-chief, reviving her calls for improved pay and conditions for female players.

"Everyone is ready for this conversation to move to the next step," she said.

"We're done with 'Are we worth it. Should we have equal pay?'

"Everyone is done with that. Fans are done with that. Players are done with that. In a lot of ways sponsors are done with that.

"Every player at this World Cup, we put on the most incredible show that you could ever ask for.

"We couldn't do anything more ... let's get to the next point."

FIFA has been criticised for awarding just 7.5 per cent of the prize money given at last year's men's World Cup to the competing teams at this Women's World Cup.

The organisation's president, Gianni Infantino, was roundly booed as he stepped up to award medals to the finalists, which gave way to loud chants for equal pay.

Rapinoe said Infantino could handle the embarrassment.

"A little public shame never hurt anybody, right? I'm down with the boos," she said.

Rapinoe took France by storm this month with her incendiary calls for equality and political campaigning.

An outspoken critic of right-wing US president Donald Trump, Rapinoe's declaration that she "wouldn't be going to the f***ing White House" if she won, in a video seen online by tens of millions, was eye-popping in its audacity.

That's not to forget Rapinoe arrived in France as part of a team suing its own federation for failing to treat and pay female players fairly compared to their male counterparts, which missed qualification to last year's World Cup.

Given all that, Rapinoe carried an ocean of pressure on her back into the tournament.

After talking the talk, she walked the walk.

In the final, she was plainly struggling with a hamstring issue that forced her to miss the semi-final win over England.

The 34-year-old showed only flashes of her best against the Netherlands but scored the pivotal opener from the penalty spot to give her team the lead.

The Californian then ran to the corner flag, smiled and struck a statuesque figure to celebrate the goal; a look-at-me pose that she said "just felt right".

"To have me, the person I am and the things that I stand for, with the big s**t-eating grin on my face, in all of our glory," she said.

"I say (our glory) as my team, and all the women's players ... it's iconic of everything we have gone through and continue to go through and yet we continue to put this beautiful product out on the pitch."