U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday morning that the women’s and men’s national teams have approved two new collective bargaining agreements. The new CBAs highlight equal pay and prize money and will last until the end of 2028.
Equal Pay for Equal Work
All players who are called into camp will receive an appearance fee, while those who make the roster will receive an additional game bonus. The appearance fee for friendly matches is $8,000. Rostered players for friendly matches against opponents ranked 1-25 (plus Canada for the USWNT and Mexico for the USMNT) will receive an additional $10,000 for a win or $3,000 for a draw. Rostered players for friendly matches against lower-ranked opponents will receive an additional $5,000 for a win or $2,000 for a draw.
The appearance fee for competitive matches (including World Cup matches) is $10,000. For non-World Cup competitions, players will receive $12,000 for a win and $4,000 for a draw. For World Cup qualifying matches, players will receive $14,000 for a win and $4,000 for a draw. Players will not receive a game bonus for World Cup matches, but they will receive prize money from FIFA for participating in the World Cup.
Prize Money and Revenue
The USWNT and USMNT will pool their prize money from the upcoming 2022 and 2023 FIFA World Cups and split 90% of the money equally between both teams, and the leftover 10% will go to the USSF. In addition, both teams will also pool their prize money from the 2026 and 2027 World Cups, with 80% of the money going to the USWNT and USMNT and 20% going to the USSF.
USSF will give both teams an equal portion of revenue from broadcasting, apparel and sponsorships. If the overall net revenue from those areas is between $55 and $75 million, each team will receive 10%. If the net revenue is above $75 million, each team will receive 15%. Players will also receive a portion of revenue from tickets sold at home matches controlled by the USSF. From 2023 to 2026, $5.06 of each ticket sold will go towards the players. In 2027, that will increase to $5.75 per ticket sold. The USSF will give players 10% of the average ticket price if a match sells out.
A statement from our President on the ratification of a new CBA that achieves equal pay. #ItsAboutTime pic.twitter.com/N7nBLOqaGF
— USWNT Players (@USWNTPlayers) May 18, 2022
Playing and Training Conditions
The new CBA deal guarantees that both national teams will have the same quality of accommodations and that both teams will have the same number of chartered flights to competitions. Both teams are also guaranteed equal quality of venues and playing surfaces. Finally, the CBA adds preventative measures against harassment, including an option for players to report harassment anonymously.
Other Benefits
Additional benefits from the CBAs include a 401(k) retirement plan and childcare during training camps and matches. This is the first time that the USMNT will have childcare services available to use. The USSF has offered USWNT childcare services for 25 years.
The USWNT CBA also offers benefits for a fringe group of players that the USSF will select every year. This group of players will receive parental leave, health insurance, and short-term disability through U.S. Soccer.
Women’s soccer is growing more popular worldwide, so this deal is another step towards growing the game. Soccer federations and fans have their eyes on the USSF and now it’s time to see who is willing to follow in their footsteps and support equal pay.
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