U.S. Soccer has reached an agreement with the women’s national team to settle allegations that females were paid less than their male counterparts.
The settlement includes $24 million in payments to players, the New York Times reported. The U.S. women’s team sued in 2019 seeking equal and fair compensation for elite athletes, male and female. They said they are paid less than the men’s team.
“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,” U.S. Soccer and the women’s national team said in a statement posted online Tuesday.
A federal judge in Los Angeles initially tossed the suit after concluding they actually earned more than the men in 2017-2018 and that the pay discrepancy was due to differences the team negotiated in their collective bargaining agreements. The women appealed, saying they earned more because they played more games and were more successful.
Last year, the organization representing U.S. men’s soccer team players and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed court papers supporting the fight by the women’s national team.
The settlement has yet to be filed in court.
The case is Alex Morgan v. U.S. Soccer Federation, 19-cv-01717, U.S. District Court, District for Central California (Los Angeles).
