Why The USWNT Deserves More

It has been a powerful movement lately for the United States Women's National Soccer Team to fight for equal pay. In 2019, 28 members of the U.S Women’s National Team brought a case against U.S Soccer, alleging gender discrimination under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. A study showed that if the men’s team and the women’s team each played 20 friendly matches, the men would average $13,166 per game and the women would average $4,950 per game. 

The lawsuit also cited the women’s World Cup Titles (3 at the time), Olympic gold medals (4) and the 2015 World Cup title game (named as the most-watched soccer match in American history). It also cited that they were ranked No. 1 in the world for 10 of the past 11 years. 

The women earned $50.8 million in revenue from their games between 2016 and 2018, and the men brought in $49.9 million. After the 2019 World Cup, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin introduced a bill to withhold federal funding for the men’s World Cup in 2026 until the women receive equal pay. At the USWNT World Cup victory parade, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also signed an equal pay bill into law.

The women's team has always done better than our men's team and they always seem to be the more popular team among United States soccer fans. It should be that they are the ones that are getting payed more and the men are the ones wanting more. I think we will see the women's team win their fight as they should, and this will make change for the sport in the future.