Level Playing

Know your worth. True in everyday life. True in elite sports. The U.S. Women’s National Team has been fighting the U.S. Soccer Federation for six years because they know their worth. And yesterday, they won. Since 2016, the USWNT has been legally fighting for equal pay from the federation for player salaries, bonuses and award money. Yesterday, they settled their lawsuit for $24 million — $22 million to be split among players and $2 million reserved for a fund to help players with post-playing career projects. The federation also pledges equal pay rates going forward for all women's and men's national teams in exhibitions and tournaments, including the World Cup.

It’s a long time coming for a team that has had unparalleled success on the world stage and whose players have become household names. Their lawsuit originally asked for $67 million in back pay, but they settled for $24 million. Honestly, if anything, the USWNT went too low because can you name a single U.S. Men’s National Team player? Like one single solitary player? Yep, I got nothing.

But, I know that celebrity is a fickle barometer. So how about we use results instead? The USWNT has won four World Cups — in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019 The USMNT? Zero. Care to guess their best finish? Well that would be a third place finish wayyyyy back in 1930. I am not kidding, their best outing was 92 years ago.

Still not convinced? Let’s try the Olympics. The USWNT has won six medals (four golds from 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012; one silver in 2000 and one bronze in 2020). How many do the USMNT have? Two, a silver in 1904 and a bronze that same year because for some reason we had two teams who competed because why not. So, um, good job 118 years ago, fellas.

So when I say the USWNT should be making more, that’s based on merit. Americans love the myth of the meritocracy, so why not lean heavily into the idea. The USWNT in both tournament results and name-recognition, is light-years ahead of the men’s team. To put it simply they are just better and more popular. Ergo, they should be paid more. Yet because they are women they were paid way, way, waywayway less.

How much less? Nearly half, and sometimes so much less than that. When you made a World Cup team as a men’s player, you got $67,000. When you made a World Cup team as a women’s player, you got $37,500. Then there are the win bonuses. As a man you would make $9,375 for each win against a team outside the Top 25, and $5,000 for a loss. Yes, you read that right, money for a loss. For the women, a win against a team ranked outside the Top Eight would give each player $5,250, and nothing for a loss. Finally men’s players who won the World Cup (which, laughs forever) take home $407,608, while women made $110,000 for winning the whole damn World Cup. And those are UPDATED rates. For a long time the US women made LESS when they won than the US men made when they lost.

You can see now why the USWNT was originally asking for $67 million, and honestly should have gotten it. But, you know what, we’ll settle for equality. Finally.