The U.S. women’s national soccer team won’t kick off its World Cup journey until 2027, yet it will still benefit financially from this year’s tournament.
After making it to the Round of 16, the U.S. men’s national team secured $16 million from FIFA before falling to Belgium with a 4-1 scoreline in Seattle. Thanks to a progressive equal pay agreement from U.S. Soccer, the funds will be shared with the women’s team.
U.S. Soccer will retain 20 percent of the prize money. The remaining 80 percent will be split equally between the teams, meaning both the men’s and women’s player pools will each receive $6.4 million from the men’s operations. With a roster of 26 players, this roughly translates to about $246,153 for each player.
However, the women won’t receive their share right away.
The women’s team hasn’t qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil yet, and the final squad will be announced closer to the event. Meanwhile, the funds owed to the women’s team will be held in an interest-bearing account, with any interest accrued also being divided between the two player pools.
This financial structure stems from the equal pay advocacy by American women. The USWNT has four World Cup titles to its name, while the men’s team hasn’t advanced past the Round of 16 since 2002. In 2019, members of the women’s team took legal action against U.S. Soccer for gender discrimination, leading to a settlement in 2022 and new collective bargaining agreements for both teams.
A significant aspect of this agreement is the pooling of World Cup prize money, aimed at addressing the inequality in FIFA’s payouts for men’s and women’s tournaments.
The disparity was clear in earlier cycles. When the USMNT reached the last 16 in the 2022 World Cup, they earned $13 million, while the USWNT would have only received about $1.87 million for achieving the same stage in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
The current payout system is now functioning again.
In the expanded 48-team Men’s World Cup, teams reaching the Round of 16 earn $16 million, with the champion taking home $51 million. Had the U.S. triumphed over Belgium, they could have earned $20 million for advancing to the quarterfinals, giving each team $8 million after U.S. Soccer’s share.
Ultimately, the USMNT’s journey ended with another Round of 16 exit.
Though disappointing, the impact of this outcome will resonate for both teams. The USWNT might return this favor in 2027 under the same agreement, sharing the earnings accrued in Brazil with the men.
