One Goal For All: The U.S. Women’s National Team’s Fight For Equal Pay

The USWNT earn $3,000 less for winning a World Cup game than the men do for losing one.

(Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) is a force of power, dominating not only on the field in the World Cup championships and the Olympics but also on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and the media in general. These women have proven that, despite the U.S. being one of the only countries in the world where soccer is not the more popular sport among its citizens, women’s soccer is not only profitable, but it’s more profitable than men’s soccer. And yet, year after year, championship after championship, the women continue to be paid less than their male counterparts.

What sets this issue apart from other gender equality and equal pay missions is that, besides the fact that the USWNT wins almost every championship they enter, the former President of the U.S. Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) Carlos Cordeiro (he resigned on March 12, 2020, due to backlash related to the unequal pay of the USWNT) has publicly said “all female athletes deserve fair and equal pay.” And, yet, under the pay structure, among other inequalities, the USWNT earn $3,000 less for winning a World Cup game than the men do for losing one.

The USWNT sued U.S. Soccer in March 2019, alleging in relevant part, years of unequal treatment and compensation. Originally, 28 members of the USWNT were named as plaintiffs. However, since then, the action has developed into a class action, including players on the USWNT since 2015.

In May 2020, Judge R. Gary Klausner, of the United States District Court for the Center District of California, found that not only had U.S. Soccer not paid the USWNT less than their male counterparts, but that he was also convinced that “the [USWNT] had been paid more on both a cumulative and an average per-game basis than the [USMNT].” However, Klausner allowed the USWNT to continue their claims on unequal working conditions involving team flights, venue selection, staffing support, and hotels.

More recently, on April 12, 2021, Klausner approved a partial settlement in the matter. However, the USWNT teams fight continues, and they have made clear that they not only plan to appeal the May 2020 decision, but they will continue to fight for equal pay not only for soccer, but in the hopes of advocating for equal pay in all areas of the economy and life.


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Maya Cohen is an associate at Balestriere Fariello and has a background
in international law and arbitration. She focuses her practice on
complex litigation from investigations to trials and appeals. You can
reach her via email at maya.cohen@balestrierefariello.com.

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