The U.S. women’s soccer team claimed its fourth World Cup title today, defeating the Netherlands in a 2-0 match in Lyon, France. The victory was lead by players Megan Rapinoe —who, last week, famously declared she would not be going to the “fucking White House” if her team won—and Rose Lavelle, both of whom scored second-half goals. In addition, Rapinoe was also awarded the Golden Ball (top player) and Golden Boot (top goalscorer) honors.

The record-breaking win for the U.S. today follows a slew of wins for the team since the early ’90s, having previously claimed the championship in 1991, 1999, and 2015. Yet, despite their accomplishments, the women’s team is still not paid as much as their American male counterparts, who have yet to win a single World Cup.

The difference is staggering: according to Mother Jones, the 2019 Women’s World Cup offered its players $30 million in prize money, while the 2018 Men’s World Cup handed out $400 million—meaning the female players earned less than 10 percent of what the males did last year, for doing the exact same thing. The Hill also reports that the women could receive a maximum of $260,000 in earnings for winning the championship, while the men’s team could earn more than $1 million if they won the World Cup.

https://twitter.com/loutalksfutbol/status/1147915777347133445

At today’s game, fans acknowledged this gobsmacking pay gap: As the women’s team celebrated its victory and claimed its trophy, nearly the entire stadium shouted “equal pay” from the stands as the FIFA president Gianni Infantino took the stage. This demand for fair payment is something even the U.S. players have been vocal about in the past as well; In 2016, five players from the U.S. team—Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Becky Sauerbrunn, Alex Morgan, and Hope Solo—filed a federal complaint of wage discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Earlier this week, FIFA made tiny strides towards the right direction: Infantino said that he proposed expanding the Women’s World Cup to 32 teams from 24, and by 2023, hoped to double the prize money as well—though that would still be nowhere near the $400 million mark the men’s teams receive. Try timesing it by 13.

https://twitter.com/Jemsinger/status/1147920307388370944

Let's block ads! (Why?)