U.S. Soccer and the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) reached an agreement to settle the equal pay lawsuit that was launched by the team in 2019.
Six years after players of the USWNT sued over unequal pay between the men and women teams, they reached an agreement of $24 million US plus bonuses.
The USWNT has won four World Cups since the program’s conception in 1985 and is the most successful and decorated team in international women’s soccer.
“The U.S. Women’s National Team players have achieved unprecedented success while working to achieve equal pay for themselves and future athletes. Today, we recognize the legacy of the past USWNT leaders who helped make this day possible, as well as all of the women and girls who will follow,” said U.S. Soccer in a statement.
The issue of pay discrimination is nothing new in U.S. Soccer and women’s soccer internationally, in April 2016, five members of the USWNT squad filed for wage-discrimination action against the U.S. Soccer Federation with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Megan Rapinoe, one of the original players to file the wage-discrimination action was happy that her generation would be leaving the soccer world in a better place but said there wouldn’t be justice if they let this happen again.
The USWNT is set to kick off their third game of the SheBelieves Cup as the second game of a doubleheader against Iceland on February 23.
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