US Soccer announces equal pay for men, women teams

The United States Soccer Federation said on Wednesday that it has struck an agreement to pay the United States Men’s National Team and the United States Women’s National Team equally, ending a contentious pay disparity that saw female players receive less.

The new collective bargaining agreements will be in effect until 2028 and will include the “equalization” of World Cup prize money, according to the organization.

The governing body and the women’s team struck a compromise in February to end the long-running wage issue, with the federation agreeing to pay the two teams equally in the next union contract and to compensate the women’s team $22 million in past pay.

Becky Sauerbrunn, a player on the women’s team and president of the United States Women’s National Team Players Association, said achieving equal pay was the result of gains players had made both on and off the field.

“We hope that this Agreement and its historic achievements in not only providing for equal pay but also in improving the training and playing environment for national team players will similarly serve as the foundation for continued growth of women’s soccer both in the United States and abroad,” Sauerbrunn said.

The federation said the two collective bargaining agreements – one for each team – have “identical economic terms” that include equal pay for all competitions, including the FIFA World Cup. It is the first federation in the world to equalize World Cup prize money, the organization said.

Both teams will also have the same framework for sharing in commercial and ticket revenue.

“This is a truly historic moment,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. “These agreements have changed the game forever here in the United States and have the potential to change the game around the world.”