The US Federal Football Association announced, on Wednesday, that it has reached agreements for equal pay for men and women, becoming the first government body in the world of football to take a significant step by paying equal wages to women and men.
The federation revealed collective bargaining agreements that were held until December 2028, in which the national teams agreed, on Wednesday, to end years of negotiations.
The men were playing according to negotiation agreements that expired in December 2018, while the women’s agreements expired in late March, but negotiations continued in order to end a sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by players in 2019.
“I feel so proud of the girls who will see this growing up and recognize their value rather than fight for it,” said player Margaret Bruce.
Perhaps the biggest sticking point is the World Cup prize money, which depends on how far a team progresses in the tournament. While American women have succeeded on the international stage with back-to-back World Cup titles, differences in FIFA award money mean they have received far fewer awards than men’s.
Unions have agreed to pool FIFA payments for the men’s World Cup later this year and the Women’s World Cup next year, as well as for the 2026 and 2027 tournaments.
Each player will receive an equal fee for appearing in the match, and the US Soccer Federation said that makes it the first association to raise FIFA prize money in this way.
“We saw it as an opportunity, an opportunity to be a leader on this front and to join the women’s side and American football,” said Walker Zimmerman, the defender who is part of the US National Team Players’ Association leadership group. complete the transaction.”
The federation previously relied on bonus payments from FIFA, which allocated $400 million for the 2018 men’s tournament, including $38 million for that year’s title holder, France, and $30 million for the 2019 women’s tournament, including $4 million for the trophy winner. United State.
FIFA had raised the total amount to $440 million for the 2022 Men’s World Cup, and its president, Gianni Infantino, suggested that FIFA double the women’s prize money to $60 million for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, as FIFA increased the number of teams to 32.
For the current World Cup tournaments, the US Federation will collect FIFA funds, deduct 10 percent and then divide the rest equally between the 46 to 23 players on each team’s roster. As for the 2026-27 cycle, the USFA’s share will rise to 20 percent before it is divided.
The childcare service, which women have enjoyed for more than 25 years, will extend to men during training camps and national team matches.
Men and women will also receive a portion of commercial revenue from tickets to NFL-controlled games, with bonuses for sales, and each team will receive a portion of broadcast revenue, partnerships and sponsors.
Players are also allocated a retirement plan in which the USAFA contributes up to 5 percent of player compensation, subject to IRS laws, and that money will be deducted from commercial revenue shares.