U.S. Soccer Finally Agrees to Equal Pay

U.S. Soccer Finally Agrees to Equal Pay

Echo Staff

On Wednesday, May 18, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced that a deal has finally been reached to pay the U.S. Men’s National Team and the U.S. Women’s National Team equally, following six years of struggle by the women to correct decades of unequal pay.

The agreement includes equal pay for all competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, and in addition to that, the teams will pool the prize money from their respective World Cup appearances and split the total among the two teams and the federation. It is the first federation in the world to equalize World Cup prize money, the organization said.

“This is a truly historic moment,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. “These agreements have changed the game forever here in the United States and have the potential to change the game around the world.”

Teams will also have the same framework for sharing in commercial and ticket revenue. The USWNT pointed to their successes and widespread popularity as one factor in the push for equal pay. They’ve won four of eight World Cup titles since the championship games began in 1991 and four Olympic gold medals since the first women’s soccer tournament in 1996.

USWNT vs. USMNT, in numbers (Source: CNN)

4: The number of World Cup wins the women’s team has, in only eight tournaments.

0: The number of World Cup wins the men’s team has won. The last time the men’s team placed was in 1930, when they finished third.

4: The number of Olympic gold medals in women’s soccer that the team has won, in six tournaments.

0: The number of Olympic golds the men’s team has won. The men’s team hasn’t won an Olympic medal in more than a century.

$900,000: How much more revenue the women’s team generated than the men’s team from fiscal year 2016 to 2018, according to the Washington Post.

$3,662,480: The amount spent on development for women’s teams (under-14 teams to under-23 teams) in fiscal year 2016, according to the proposed fiscal year 2018 budget.

$7,438,159: The amount spent on development for men’s teams in fiscal year 2016.

$11,400,000: The total projected revenue of the women’s events (such as friendlies and tournament play) in fiscal year 2018. After expenses, the team made the US Soccer Federation money, with a surplus of just over $2 million, according to the proposed fiscal year 2018 budget.

$10,325,000: The total projected revenue of the men’s events in fiscal year 2018. After expenses, the team had a deficit of just over $3.5 million.

$240,019: Carli Lloyd’s salary in 2015, after winning the World Cup, according FiveThirtyEight.

$428,022: Clint Dempsey’s salary in 2014, after losing in the round of 16 in the World Cup, according to FiveThirtyEight.

$4,950: The maximum amount per game the women’s team would earn if they played 20 friendlies and won them all, according to the lawsuit, for a maximum total of $99,000.

$13,166: The average amount per game the men’s team would earn if they played 20 friendlies and won them all, according to the lawsuit, for a total of $263,320.