The lawsuit argues “The USSF (U.S. Soccer Federation) discriminates against women by paying them less than members of the men’s team despite the women’s team’s far greater success in international competitions.”  But Both played 20 matches each and if each squad won all the games, female players would earn around $99,000, and the male players would earn an average of $263,320. 

Smaller World Cup Bonuses:

According to the complaint, the pay structure for advancement through the rounds of the World Cup is so skewed that, in 2015, the women’s team earned $2 million for winning the World Cup while the men made $9 million without advancing beyond the round of 16 in 2014. In addition, the complaint says that bonuses for placing first, second, or third are much higher for men.

Lower Per Diem and Sponsor Appearances:

U.S. Soccer pays women a smaller daily allowance (also known as per diem) than men when they are in camp at domestic and international venues. It also pays women $3,000 per sponsor appearance, compared with $3,750 for men.

- 28 members of the U.S. Women’s National Team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Federation 

-The lawsuit argues “The USSF(U.S. Soccer Federation) discriminates against women by paying them less than members of the men’s team despite the women’s team’s far greater success in international competitions.”  

-Both played 20 matches each and if each squad won all the games, female players would earn around $99,000, and the male players would earn an average of $263,320.  

FIFA’s Misogynistic View-

-The USSF(U.S. Soccer Federation) promised bonuses only if the women’s team earned gold 

-the players wanted payment for silver or bronze as well, the same terms that had been guaranteed to the men. Director Hank Steinbrecher reacted and said “We cannot reward mediocrity”

Biased in Equity Pay

-In December of 1995, around nine U.S. women’s team members boycotted the Olympic training camp in protest. The public largely backed the women in their quest for better pay. “It’s a very vogue thing to be on the side of the women on this,” Steinbrecher complained.  

-eight of the nine protesting players were white as well as the players. However, studies show that fans view white female athletes as more conventionally feminine, and therefore more acceptable than athletes of color, who are often stigmatized as inappropriately masculine and muscular.

-Unequal pay has been an issue for the U.S. women’s team and has been confronted and challenged since its formation. Even though the U.S. women’s team has been successful for decades with multiple World Cup and Olympic titles,  outdoing the men’s team as they haven’t won a single title. Yet these women have been constantly fighting to get treated better. 

-Women have been fighting for equal treatment since the earliest days of female sports. With the rise of the women’s liberation movement. 

-The USSF illustrates a larger conundrum in women’s sports by saying “Winning alone is not enough to eradicate inequality.”

Inclusion in Women’s Soccer

-In 1991, the International Soccer Federation launched the first women’s world championship. But because of fears the tournament would flop, it refused to grant the event the “World Cup” title, instead dubbing it the World Championship for Women’s Football for the M&M’s Cup, or, colloquially, the “M&M’s Cup.”

-Organizers also considered adopting changes to accommodate the players’ supposed biological shortcomings, including using a youth-size ball. Eventually, they used the standard-size ball, but games were shortened from 90 minutes to 80, out of concerns about women’s lack of stamina. “They were afraid our ovaries were going to fall out if we played 90!” joked U.S. player April Heinrichs.

-Wearing uniforms previously used by the boy’s youth team, the U.S. women’s team won the tournament, the start of an impressive run in international competition. The team would finish third in the 1995 Women’s World Cup. FIFA permitted the use of the word “World Cup” title after the successes of the 1991 tournament and captured gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games, the first Olympics to include women’s soccer.

Turning points for U.S. Soccer

-In 1999 the Women’s World Cup had a turning point for women’s soccer in America. An average of 40 million viewers watched as the U.S. team defeated China during penalty kicks. 

-This shows that the women’s team has been achieving more since 2000.

"Women have had to fight for equal treatment since the earliest days of female sports. Advocacy increased in the 1970s with the rise of the women’s liberation movement. Female pioneers broke barriers and took to the courts, fields, and stadiums in record numbers. Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially complete the Boston Marathon in 1967; a legal victory in 1974 granted girls the right to play Little League Baseball; and tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the 1973 match dubbed the Battle of the Sexes."