Five members of the US Women’s National Team have filed a wage discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the United States Soccer Federation.
Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Rebecca Sauerbrunn and Hope Solo lodged the complaint in March 2016. The players claim the complaint is on behalf of the whole team.
In the 2015 World Cup, the US Women’s National Team won their tournament, while the US Men’s National Team lost in round 16 in the 2014 World Cup. The male footballers earned $9m for progressing that far, while the women earned $2m for winning the competition.
As well as equal pay for games, the complaint addresses compensation in other areas, such as ticket revenues and sponsorship duties. Women are paid $3,000 per sponsor appearance, while men are paid $3,750.
