At the end of the celebrations Megan Rapinoe said: ‘This group is so resilient, is so tough, has such a sense of humour. There’s nothing that can faze this group. We got pink hair and purple hair. We got tattoos and dreadlocks. We got white girls and black girls and everything in between. We got straight girls and gay girls. This is my charge to everyone: we have to be better, we have to love more and hate less. Listen more and talk less. It is our responsibility to make this world a better place.’

Photograph: Jason Szenes/EPA