US Women National Team players have ended a six-year legal battle with their federation over equal pay, agreeing a deal worth $24m (£17.7m) plus bonuses to match the terms of the men.
The US Soccer Federation and the women’s team announced the deal Tuesday, which will see the players receive $22m, around a third of the figure they had originally sought.
US Soccer also agreed to establish a fund with $2m to benefit the players in their post-soccer careers and charitable efforts aimed at growing the sport for women.
US Soccer committed to providing an equal rate of pay for the women’s and men’s national teams including World Cup bonuses, subject to collective bargaining agreements with the unions that separately represent the women and men.
“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,” the players said in a joint statement with US Soccer.
USA midfielder Megan Rapinoe said: “For our generation, knowing that we’re going to leave the game in an exponentially better place than when we found it is everything.
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“That’s what it’s all about because, to be honest, there is no justice in all of this if we don’t make sure it never happens again.”
The settlement has been viewed as a victory and a success for USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone, a former player who became head of the federation in March 2020.
Cone replaced Carlos Cordeiro, who quit after the federation made a legal filing that claimed women had less physical ability and responsibility than male counterparts.