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US Soccer reaches landmark deals to pay men's and women's national teams equally: A closer look

Nancy Armour
USA TODAY

U.S. Soccer and its women’s and men’s national teams announced landmark new contracts Wednesday that will pay the squads equally – including a split of World Cup prize money. The deals are the culmination of a decades-long fight by the USWNT, U.S. Soccer’s most successful – and visible – team, for equal compensation and fair treatment, and further recognition by the federation that American soccer is stronger when everyone is unified.

“It’s very rewarding. For me, I feel very humbled to join this fight that has been going on years before I even touched a ball. Before I was born, actually,” Midge Purce, a member of the USWNT’s bargaining committee, told USA TODAY Sports.

“I’m really proud of the work that’s been done. A lot of gifted people came together to put together something really special.”

Under the new deal, this year’s pool for the USWNT would be $7.2 million, a 54 percent increase from 2018. That includes a 68 percent increase – to $120,000 – in what players could earn just from this summer’s World Cup qualifying tournament.

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The starting eleven for the United States Women’s National Team before an international friendly women's soccer match against Uzbekistan in April 2022.

The new collective bargaining agreements run through 2028, ensuring labor peace for two full World Cup cycles. That is no small thing considering the U.S. is co-hosting the 2026 men’s tournament with Canada and Mexico.

“Everyone who cares about our sport should share in this pride as we look forward to working together to grow soccer for generations to come,” U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone, a former USWNT player, said.

A closer look at the deal:

What, exactly, will equal pay look like?

The appearance fees for U.S. training camps and national team matches will be the same for players from both teams, while the same criteria – result and opponent’s rank – will be used to determine performance bonuses for friendlies.

That’s the easy part.

World Cup bonuses have long been a sticking point for the USWNT. No matter how successful the U.S. women were, they were always going to get short-changed because of the vast disparity in FIFA’s prize money.

The U.S. women got $4 million after winning their second consecutive title in 2019 while France got $38 million for winning the men’s event a year earlier. In 2014, the USMNT got almost $5.4 million just for reaching the round of 16; they didn’t make the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Under the new deals, U.S. Soccer will put 90 percent of the prize money from both the men’s and women’s World Cups into a pool and the players will split that.

How significant is that?

Very.

Other countries, including Australia, Norway, England and Brazil, have committed to equal base pay for their men’s and women’s players; no federation has gone this far in splitting World Cup prize money. Most don’t give their players this much of the FIFA money, either.

“The opportunity we have here is to lead and lead by example,” said defender Walker Zimmerman, a member of the USMNT players association’s leadership group. “Looking at what this means, hopefully, for the international game, this is a big deal. It’s not something that should be overlooked.

“Hopefully this is the gold standard for what is to come.”

What does this mean for the USWNT’s equal pay fight?

After almost four decades, it’s over.

U.S. Soccer agreed in February to pay USWNT players $24 million to settle the equal pay lawsuit the women had filed in 2019, but the deal was contingent on a new CBA. Now that one has been reached, the settlement can be finalized in district court.

“One thing my Dad always said is, `You don’t get rewarded for doing what you’re supposed to do,’ and paying men and women equally is what you’re supposed to do, so I’m not giving out any gold stars,” Purce said.

What else is in the deals?

For the first time, U.S. Soccer will share a portion of its commercial revenues – think broadcast rights, corporate sponsorships and ticket sales – with the players.

All games put on by U.S. Soccer will be played on similar playing surfaces. In other words, the days of the USWNT playing on artificial turf while the USMNT plays on grass are over. The travel budgets for the teams also will be comparable, and both teams will be provided with an equal number of charter flights.

U.S. Soccer also agreed to establish protections to prevent harassment and other improper conduct, including the ability for players to anonymously report abuse. This has become a particularly important issue for the USWNT over the last year, with more than a half-dozen players accusing U.S. Soccer of “willful inaction” following revelations of abuse by multiple NWSL coaches.

Anything else noteworthy in the CBAs?

U.S. Soccer, to its credit, has long been a leader in parental benefits, providing childcare for USWNT players while they’re at training camps and tournaments. Now that benefit is being extended to USMNT players, too.

“It was really important to set that as a standard for the men,” Purce said. “We were really conscious of not reinforcing this idea that women are the only caretakers of children. Men are fathers, and that is a role to be respected and appreciated and supported. It was important to us to make sure that was equally provided.”

What next?

Focus on the World Cup!

The USMNT were drawn into a group with England, Iran and the winner of a European playoff for the World Cup in Qatar, which  begins in November. The USWNT, meanwhile, is expected to secure one of the four automatic spots available for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand during the CONCACAF qualifying tournament in July in Mexico.

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