Natalie Portman believes women’s sports are experiencing a “positive cultural shift.”
The Oscar-winning actress, who co-owns City of Angels FC along with Jessica Chastain, Eva Longoria, Gabrielle Union and Jennifer Garner, revealed what convinced her to support the soccer team.
The 42-year-old actress, who has son Aleph and daughter Amalia with Benjamin Millepied, told PEOPLE: “When I saw my son watching the Women’s World Cup with the same enthusiasm and passion as he watched the Men’s World Cup, it made me I think what a hugely positive cultural shift it would be if the next generation looked at female athletes the same way they look at male athletes.”
Natalie has already found her involvement with the team “incredibly rewarding.”
The actress shared, “I never thought I would be on a professional sports team. But founding Angel City Football Club was one of the greatest joys of my life.
“It was incredibly rewarding, both professionally and personally. It’s amazing when you hear kids say that their Christen Press jersey is as important as their LeBron James jersey.”
Earlier this year, Natalie argued that female athletes deserve more recognition.
The actress’s team plays in the US National Women’s Soccer League, and she believes that athletes should be more famous than they are now.
She told PEOPLE: “I think it’s really important for all kids to see female athletes celebrated in the way they deserve. I mean, we grew up with girls expected to idolize male athletes, and we did.
“If you see perfection, you can stand in awe of it, no matter who is excellent. So, I think for all of our kids, it really gives me awe to think about how different their world will be when they grow up with the icons that we see. Our team.”
