Equal Pay for Equal Play

Goal! The U.S. women’s national soccer team recently scored a big win—off the field. In May, the U.S. Soccer Federation said it would pay its female players the same as male players for the first time.

Members of the women’s team had earned less than their male counterparts even though they were more successful. The team has won four World Cup titles, more than any other women’s team. The men’s team has not won a World Cup. They have never even made it to the finals. 

Under the new deal, players on the two teams will be paid the same amount for each game and each tournament win. They will also combine and equally split the prize money from the men’s and women’s World Cup. 

In many jobs in the U.S., women are paid less on average than men. In some cases, this is true even when women and men have the same skills and level of education. Female workers in many jobs in the U.S. earn about 83 cents for every $1 male workers earn. That’s according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Becky Sauerbrunn is the captain of the U.S. women’s soccer team. She is celebrating the historic win. But she knows the fight is not over.

“Thank you to the women who led and continue to lead the fight for equal pay across sports and in everyday life,” she tweeted. “This work stretches long into the past and will continue well into the future.”