U.S. Soccer reaches historic agreement for men’s and women’s national team

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) have reached an agreement with the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) and U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) to ensure male and female players are paid equally.

Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, the FIFA World Cup prize money will be pooled between the men’s and women’s teams and split equally among all players.

This marks the first time a national soccer federation has agreed to pool their World Cup money.

“This a truly an historical moment,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone 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.”

U.S. Soccer will share a portion of its “broadcast, partner and sponsorship revenue with an equal 50/50 split of that share divided equally between the USMNT and USWNT.”

The USWNT has been far more successful than the USMNT, having won the FIFA Women’s World Cup a record four times, including the most recent version in 2019. The USMNT did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but did qualify for the upcoming 2022 event in Qatar. Their best result in the FIFA World Cup is a semifinal appearance in 1930.

The fight for equal pay has been going on for several years, when the USWNT filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer in 2019. A settlement was announced in February, with the USSF agreeing to pay $22 million to the players, with another $2 million put into a fund for players after their playing career is over.

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