The long-lasting fight for equal pay in women’s sports took a major step this past February. After filing and appealing multiple lawsuits against the gender pay gap in the soccer world, the very successful United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) finally landed an off-the-field victory. 

Since winning the 2015 World Cup, a feat never achieved by the men’s national team, the USWNT has been in a constant fight with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) for equality between the two teams. After almost seven long years, and another World Cup win, the fight came to a close. 

The USWNT, along with its bosses, the USSF, reached a $24 million agreement which will be shared between current and retired players. The settlement also came with a pledge by the USSF to equalize pay between the men’s and women’s national teams in all competitions going forward.

“This is something that was just a matter of time,” explained Olympic Heights junior and varsity soccer player Lindsey Osinoff. “Women have done so much for the sport, and they absolutely deserve equal pay.”

The USWNT has enjoyed more success on the world stage than has the men’s team, having won four World Cup titles, a record on the women’s side. The USWNT also has eight out of eight podium finishes in their World Cup history books, adding three third-place finishes and one second place finish to their four wins. The trophy room concludes with another record, four Olympic Games gold medals.

The public has also been a major part in the movement. At the 2019 Women’s World Cup final, fans were heard chanting “Equal pay!” following the 2-0 win by the U.S. over the Netherlands, securing another American consecutive win, and fourth overall title.

This World Cup win netted each player on the USWNT $110,000. If the men had won the World Cup, they would have made $407,608 each, nearly four times as much as the women. This was another turning point and deciding factor in the lawsuit. One of the changes going forward, claimed by the USSF, is that female players can expect equality in regards to bonuses earned.

“It’s not easy to constantly have to demand your worth. Or tell people how good you are. Or tell people you deserve to be a full human,” Megan Rapinoe. USWNT captain  says in LFG, a new documentary on HBOMax about the U.S. women’s national soccer team’s lawsuit for equal pay against U.S. Soccer.

Rapinoe has been one of the main faces of the fight, always making her opinion known and expressing her thoughts. Although she has received criticism and insults and nearing retirement, she can now enjoy a new era she helped kickstart. 

“There’s no real justice in this other than this never happening again,” Rapinoe claimed in an interview with ESPN. “There’s no other way to look at it than just a monumental win for women’s sports and women’s soccer, in particular.”