An agreement has been signed this year to guarantee the USWNT (US Women’s National Soccer Team) millions in prize money from the men’s World Cup in Qatar. This comes as part of a large settlement between the US Soccer Federation and the USWNT Players’ Association to guarantee equal pay reparations for the women, who have faced decades of unequal pay compared to the men- despite winning four World Cups.
The men are guaranteed $13 million in prize money, having reached the last 16 in Qatar, which will be split equally between the men’s and women’s teams under the equal pay agreement. The $6.5 million that the women will receive is more than they won for their last two World Cup victories combined ($4m in 2019 and $2m in 2015). The shares of ticket sales will also now be equal, as will bonuses following the $24 million settlement that was agreed in February this year to end a 6 year legal battle for equal pay.
The prize money has not yet been set for the Women’s World Cup Australia 2023, but the FIFA president Infantino has said he wants to “at least double” the money from 2019. However, even if this doubling does happen, taking the total prize money for all teams to $60 million, this will still be easily outdone by the $440m given to men’s teams in Qatar.
This year’s agreement also ensures that the US men will get half of any prize money earned by the USWNT in next year’s World Cup. The USWNT players’ Association president, Becky Sauerbrunn, who has also been the intermittent captain of the team for many years, said that they “hope that this agreement and its historic achievements in not only providing equal pay but also improving the training and playing environment for national team players, will similarly serve as the foundation for continued growth of women’s soccer both in the US and abroad.”
This has been an incredibly long fought battle between the players and the US Soccer Federation, started in 2016 by a few brave world champions launching an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint, and will hopefully have its legacy carried forward for years to come.
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