U.S. men’s and women’s soccer teams strike equal pay deal with the governing body

US men’s and women’s national soccer team players will now receive equal pay and prize money, including at World Cups. Here’s more on the landmark collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with the U.S Soccer Federation on Wednesday.

US soccer adopts an equal pay system

The US Soccer Federation is the first in the world to equalize the FIFA world cup prize money for both men’s (USMNT) and women’s (USWNT) for participation in their respective World Cups. The CBAs are the first of their kind and will run through 2028, covering the next two World Cup and Olympics cycles.

“This is a truly historic moment. These agreements have changed the game forever here in the United States and have the potential to change the game around the world,” stated Cindy Parlow Cone. Cone is the President of US Soccer. According to US Soccer, they will keep the players among the highest-paid national team players.

In another first, US Soccer will also share a part of its broadcast, sponsorship, and partner revenue with an equal split of shares between the USWNT and USMNT. They added that the new framework will “provide additional encouragement for all parties to work together to grow the game”. “The accomplishments in this CBA are a testament to the incredible efforts of WNT (women`s national team) players on and off the field,” stated player associations President Becky Sauerbrunn.

More on the deal

The agreement comes three months after the US Soccer and USWNT agreed to resolve disputes over equal pay. Additionally, it ended the 2016 dispute when players filed a federal wage discrimination complaint. They claimed they were being paid less than their male counterparts. “The gains we have been able to achieve are both because of the strong foundation laid by the generations of WNT players that came before the current team and through our union’s recent collaboration with our counterparts at the USNSTPA and leadership at U.S. Soccer,” added Sauerbrunn.