United States Women’s National Team to receive $22 million from US Soccer after lawsuit settlement

An agreement has been reached in the lawsuit over equal pay between US Soccer and the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), according to a joint statement released Tuesday morning.

“We are pleased to announce that, contingent on the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement, we will have resolved our longstanding dispute over equal pay and proudly stand together in a shared commitment to advancing equality in soccer,” the statement read.

The disagreement between the two parties dates back to March 2019 when the USWNT filed their gender discrimination lawsuit against US Soccer.

Under terms of the agreement the women’s and men’s national teams will receive an equal rate of pay in all friendlies and tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup.

In addition, US Soccer will pay $22 million to the players named in the case, as well as “an additional $2 million into an account to benefit the USWNT players in their post-career goals and charitable efforts related to women’s and girls’ soccer,” according to the statement.

“Getting to this day has not been easy. The USWNT players have achieved unprecedented success while working to achieve equal pay for themselves and future athletes,” the statement further read.

Indeed, the USWNT has won the FIFA Women’s World Cup a record four times, including the most recent edition in 2019. By comparison, the U.S. Men’s National Team has reached the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup once since 1934.

The settlement is contingent on the ratification of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for the USWNT.