According to a recent Seton Hall Sports Poll sponsored by the Sharkey Institute and the Stillman School of Business, 91 percent of women think women should receive equal pay for playing soccer, while only 74 percent of men agree. Similar results were found for professional sports: 79 percent believe equal pay should be the norm, while only 59% agree. This is certainly progress, but we still have a long way to go before it's a reality.
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock and other female athletes called for equal pay during the U.S. Women’s World Cup. They aren't the only women who play sports; many men also are underpaid. The Best Team Award was won by the US Women's National Team at the 2018 Women's World Cup. Bullock presented the award. Alex Morgan, who was awarded the Best Female Athlete award, is representing the team.
At the 2019 ESPY awards, the United States Women's National Soccer Team was the center stage. Bullock presented the Best Team Award for the team headed by Megan Rapinoe (the Golden Boot Award winner at the FIFA Women's World Cup). Sandra Bullock, in monochrome black, accompanied Megan Rapinoe, wearing a double-breasted jacket and flapper-styled tassels.
Alex Morgan
It will take a while before the United States women’s national soccer team earns as much as its male counterparts. While equal pay for women's soccer in the United States is a goal that should be pursued, there are steps that can still be taken. According to Cherita Ellens (CEO of Women Employed), women currently make 80 cents for each dollar earned by a man. Ellens says this is still a significant gap but is optimistic that women's teams will eventually attain equal pay for equal work. Ellens hopes that the players will make this a reality.
Equal pay is subjective. As an example, if the World Cup was won by the men's teams in 2015, it should be won by the women's teams as well. But, it doesn't necessarily mean that women's teams shouldn't get the same rewards as the men. The women's teams have played in more games than their male counterparts. They have had more work to keep up. The same is true of the prize money of World Cups. However, not all players are selected for each camp. Who plays what depends on injury, coaching decisions and how many games each team plays.
U.S. Soccer
An historic agreement was reached by the USSF with soccer unions to guarantee equal pay for both men and women playing soccer. The agreement stipulates that each team will be paid equally and share the World Cup money. It also says that men and women will be paid equal amounts at non-World Cup tournaments. Both men and women can earn the same amount abroad and at home, provided they play the exact same number of games.
Cone, a former woman's national team player, said in September that he wouldn't sign a contract for any team that didn’t offer equal prize money. Cone agreed to a deal on Tuesday. The women’s union supported it. The men's union has lawyers watching the negotiations, and the women's players association congratulated the players on winning their battle against gender discrimination. The leaders of women's soccer's players' unions stated they would continue to hold U.S. Soccer for its decision.
United States Women’s National Team
The prize money in soccer has the largest pay gap. Men's teams compete for nearly $440 million in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while women compete for just $30 million. Five top female soccer players have filed a lawsuit calling for equal pay. They claim that their wages are fourfold lower than those of their male counterparts. Equal pay for female soccer players is long overdue. Why is this still a problem?
There are many factors that explain the differences in salaries between men and women. Historically, women have had to compete against men to make ends meet. Nevertheless, the difference in compensation has been significant. The USSF has not been open about its salaries in the past, and this is evident for the women who make up its team. Their recent public relations blitz reflects this. A spokesperson for the USSF told Reuters that they have a strong commitment to equal pay for all of their players.