By Melina Ferreyra, age 9 and IndyKids staff
The U.S. women’s national soccer team finally reached a settlement in their pay gap lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation in February. The players received $24 million and a promise of equal pay from the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2016, alleged that the women’s team was paid unfairly, as their compensation was significantly less than the men’s team, despite the fact that they are a higher-ranking team. The women’s soccer team won the World Cup in 2019, which earned them around $30 million. For the 2018 men’s World Cup, the prize money was $400 million.
The U.S. Soccer Federation upheld their pledge in May and will now pay both teams equally. “This is a truly historic moment,” team president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. “These agreements have changed the game forever here in the United States and have the potential to change the game around the world.”
