US Women’s National Soccer Team: How The Fight for Equal Pay Continues

In July 2019, the US Women’s soccer team (USWNT) won the World Cup against the Netherlands. The team cemented their names in the history books and made this the 4th World Cup won by the USWNT. They also won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2019. The widespread success and recent domination of the USWNT are undeniable and nothing short of amazing. However, their battles are not limited to the pitch.

How is the USWNT Paid Currently?

The USWNT has never been paid the same as the men’s soccer team (USMNT) despite the USWNT being a far more successful team historically and currently. According to Yahoo, the men’s and women’s teams are paid through 2 different compensation models. The USWNT is paid through salaries, specifically $100,000 per year, which provides more financial stability. In contrast, the USMNT are paid “based on call-ups, game appearances and win bonuses”. The way that the men are paid is much more of a gamble, which risks a guaranteed income but maximizes the potential for a high payout if they are successful. In the past, the USWNT agreed to be paid by salaries, not like how the USMNT is paid. But the reasoning behind why they decided to such a structure, which has stood since 2005, is worth discussing.

Simply put, the women are not paid much to play professionally in leagues across the globe. This means that they were more willing to take the option of a guaranteed salary with little to no risk versus a non-guaranteed option like the men. Players on the USMNT play professionally all over the globe as well but often make significantly more than women. The men have the security of large salaries from their professional clubs that allow them to be more willing to risk non-guaranteed payouts with the USMNT. And there is the potential for high rewards if they do win.

How is the USWNT Fighting for Equal Pay?

The USWNT has been fighting against the pay gaps for a few years now. According to ESPN, in March 2019, the USWNT filed a gender-discrimination lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation. This lawsuit, in part, is asking for $67 million in damages, according to a 2020 TIME article. USWNT lawyers consider this money to be “back pay” in wages that the women should have been paid in previous years. The lawsuit essentially argues that through gender discrimination, the women of the USWNT have been and still are paid consistently less than the players on the men’s team. This is all despite their incredibly superior performance record compared to the men’s team.

An article by CNBC says that in the lawsuit, the scenario in which the men’s and women’s teams played and won all 20 non-tournament games required by contract to be played, the women would earn a maximum of $99,000 per game. In contrast, the men’s team players would earn $263,320. These games are important to compare because they are non-tournament games, meaning that the argument of the difference in prize money and overall revenue for a given tournament is non-existent. After having hearings in front of a federal judge, the case was thrown out in 2020. The women filed an appeal which is still ongoing.

Sucess of the USWNT in Global Competitions

Unlike the USWNT, the USMNT has never won a World Cup, let alone been in a final. The best run that the USMNT has had in a World Cup was in 1930. They made it to the semifinals, but lost to Argentina. Usually, they have qualified for the World Cup since their semifinal run. However, the men’s team is never guaranteed to qualify for the tournament. The USMNT did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia due to losing out in Concacaf qualifiers. The USWNT does not have an uninspiring record like the men. Instead, they are highly regarded worldwide and have been for decades. While our men’s team often can be a laughing stock globally, our women’s team consistently dominates.

How is the Issue Being Addressed Currently?

According to CNBC, as of mid-September 2021, the US Soccer Federation had announced that the men’s and women’s national teams would be offered the same contract. Although the specifics of this contract offer were not made public, it is seemingly a much better contractual offer to the women’s team than previously displayed. There is no word on whether the national teams have accepted the offer, which would be done by the unions of each national team.

Regardless of whether it’s accepted or not, it is a step in the right direction for the USWNT. These women have given so much to soccer both in and out of the United States. They have dominated the world stage many times and continue to do so, even while underpaid and underappreciated. The battle will continue for the USWNT as the lawsuit appeal is heard again in federal court, and the women fight for a better contract with the US Soccer Federation.