U.S. Soccer Says Women’s Team Was Paid More Than Men’s Team

Organization says the women made $8 million more between 2010 and 2018

Team USA at the World Cup
Team USA lifts the trophy after the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. (Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty)
FIFA via Getty Images

Since winning the World Cup in France earlier this month, the members of the U.S. Women’s National Team have been using their expanded platform to advocate for being paid as much as the member’s of the men’s team.

According to a letter released Monday by U.S. Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro, the USWNT is in fact not paid equally to the men’s team … they are paid more.

In the letter, Cordeiro claims the federation paid out $34.1 million in salary and game bonuses to the women between 2010 and 2018 as opposed to $26.4 million paid out to the men. Not included in that total: the value of benefits received only by the women, like health care.

U.S. Soccer released the number in advance of heading to mediation in a federal lawsuit filed by players for the women’s team which accuses the governing body of “institutionalized gender discrimination” that includes unequal compensation.

“In the weeks ahead, we’ll focus on preparing for mediation and resolving this matter in the best interests of the WNT and U.S. Soccer. I want you to know that U.S. Soccer is committed to doing right by our players, and I’ve been encouraged by the public comments from players expressing their desire for a cooperative approach. I remain optimistic that we can find common ground,” Cordeiro wrote in the letter. “Together, I believe we can get this done.”

Molly Levinson, a spokeswoman for the players in the gender lawsuit, called the figures released by Cordeiro “a ruse.”

“This is a sad attempt by USSF to quell the overwhelming tide of support the USWNT has received from everyone from fans to sponsors to the United States Congress,”  Levinson said in a statement. “The USSF has repeatedly admitted that it does not pay the women equally and that it does not believe the women even deserve to be paid equally. The USSF fact sheet is not a ‘clarification. It is a ruse.”

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