In groundbreaking history, sports are finally leveling out in the U.S., at least for soccer. After a years-long fight for equal pay, U.S. Soccer and the women’s and men’s national teams have reached an agreement ensuring every player is paid equally, officially bridging the gender inequality pay gap.
The Today Show broke the news and reports that the organization will split the World Cup prize money.
U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow speaks on the news, “It’s equalization of World Cup prize money, identical financial terms, including identical game payments, identical revenue sharing for both teams, so identical in every aspect on that front.”
Captain of the U.S. National Soccer Team, Becky Sauerbrunn, also chimed in “feeling extreme pride.” “And to be able to say finally, equal pay for equal work feels very, very good.”
TODAY EXCLUSIVE: After fighting for equal pay for over a decade, the U.S. women’s soccer team exclusively shares with TODAY and @stephgosk that they have reached a historic deal. More details here: https://t.co/orVxjgWi1I pic.twitter.com/Nfa4ItaZ05
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 18, 2022
Sauerbrunn did admit that it was not easy to be happy about something that should have happened a long time ago. “It’s tough to get so, so excited about something that we really should have had all along.”
Following a six-year fight for equal pay, the decision came three months after USNST settled with the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The statement reads, “We are 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.”
