U.S. Women’s soccer team reaches equal pay deal: 3 takeaways from the settlement

The U.S. women’s soccer players reached a landmark deal with the federation regarding pay. Here’s what we learned from Tuesday’s announcement. 

Following a six-year battle over gender discrimination, the United States women’s national soccer team and U.S. Soccer, the sport’s national governing body, agreed on a deal Tuesday with a settlement that included a $24 million payout to the players.

The agreement also included a vow on the part of U.S. Soccer to provide equal pay between the men’s and women’s teams.

In a joint statement posted to the federation’s website, U.S. Soccer and the team said both sides were “pleased to announce that, contingent on the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement, we will have resolved our longstanding dispute over equal pay and proudly stand together in a shared commitment to advancing equality in soccer.”

The statement continued, “Getting to this day has not been easy. The U.S. Women’s National Team players have achieved unprecedented success while working to achieve equal pay for themselves and future athletes. Today, we recognize the legacy of the past USWNT leaders who helped to make this day possible, as well as all of the women and girls who will follow. Together, we dedicate this moment to them. We look forward to continuing to work together to grow women’s soccer and advance opportunities for young girls and women in the United States and across the globe.”

Here’s what we learned from the settlement.

U.S. women’s soccer: Players will get much-needed back pay

The players involved in the fight, which includes current and former members of the USWNT, will split $24 million in payments from U.S. Soccer. As part of that fund, U.S. Soccer also agreed to set aside $2 million to benefit the players during their post-soccer careers and for soccer-related charities.

The payout is largely back pay and serves as compensation for the federation’s unequal treatment of the men’s and women’s teams.

“For our generation, knowing that we’re going to leave the game in an exponentially better place than when we found it is everything,” 36-year-old midfielder Megan Rapinoe told The Associated Press. “That’s what it’s all about because, to be honest, there is no justice in all of this if we don’t make sure it never happens again.”

U.S. women’s soccer: Equal pay is on the horizon

This is even a bigger deal than the payout. As a result of the settlement, U.S. Soccer has pledged to equalize pay between the men’s and women’s national teams, which includes World Cup bonuses.

The settlement is a surprise win for the USWNT given that the sides were scheduled to argue their case on March 7 in an attempt to reinstate the equal pay portion thrown out by a previous judge.

U.S. women’s soccer: It’s a long-term financial investment for women’s soccer

Women’s soccer has seen steady growth in this country since the United States captured the 1999 Women’s World Cup. Despite that success, money has been slow to trickle into the women’s game.

The settlement will certainly help future generations and allow women called up to the national team to receive the benefits afforded to the men. This deal will go a long way in re-establishing trust between the federation and players, the first step in a long-term plan that will certainly help the women’s game.