US Soccer, USWNT players agree to $24M settlement in equal pay lawsuit

The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) announced it has come to a settlement with players on the women’s national team (USWNT), ending a six-year legal battle over equal pay. Tuesday’s settlement is worth $24 million, with $22 million to be split between the players, and the other $2 million going to establish a fund to benefit the players in their post-soccer careers. The USSF also committed under the settlement to an equal rate of pay for the women’s and men’s national soccer teams, including World Cup bonuses, subject to collective bargaining agreements with the unions that represent each team.

“We will have resolved our longstanding dispute over equal pay and proudly stand together in a shared commitment to advance equality in soccer,” the USSF said in a joint statement with the players. “We look forward to continuing to work together to grow women’s soccer and advance opportunities for young girls and women in the United States and across the globe.”

Back in 2016, five American women soccer players, led by USWNT stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, filed a complaint about their pay with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Their case gained legal and public momentum in 2019, when the women sued the USSF, seeking $66 million in damages under the federal Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. That same year, the USWNT won its second straight World Cup title, which they used to build fan support for equal pay.

“To our women’s national team and the millions who support them, in recent months you’ve raised your voices for equality,” Former USSF President Carlos Cordiero said in July 2010. “Today, on behalf of all of us at U.S. Soccer I want to say, we hear you, we believe in you and we’re committed to doing right by you.”

Cordiero resigned from his position the following year after the USSF made a legal filing that claimed women had less physical ability and responsibility than male counterparts.

“Getting to this day has not been easy. The U.S. Women’s National Team players have achieved unprecedented success while working to achieve equal pay for themselves and future athletes,” the USSF said in Tuesday’s statement. “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. Together, we dedicate this moment to them.”