The U.S. men’s soccer team advancing out of the group stage means a big payday for the U.S. women’s national team.
The women’s national soccer team is set to make at least three times more from the men’s World Cup than they did from winning the women’s tournament back in 2019. This is due to a deal signed earlier this year between the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the men’s and women’s unions, which agreed to split future World Cup earnings. In fact, the men’s win against Iran meant that the women’s team made more than its last two World Cup appearances in 2015 and 2019 when it emerged as the victor.
The 1-0 victory by the men’s national team over Iran on Tuesday increased their World Cup prize money to roughly $380,000 for each player on the team, according to an AP report.
The same applies to players on the U.S. roster for the 2023 Women’s World Cup because of the new collective bargaining agreement.
Under the deals signed, 90% of the World Cup prize money paid by FIFA to the USSF will be pooled and shared equally between the players on this year’s men’s World Cup roster and next year’s women’s World Cup roster. The deal marked U.S. soccer as “the first Federation in the world to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money,” according to CNN.
The same deal will apply to the men’s and women’s World Cups in 2026 and 2027.
The men’s roster was increased to 26 this year, compared to the women’s roster, which is currently listed at 23 in FIFA’s regulations. If the women’s rosters are also increased to 26, the prize money share for each player will come to $380,769. The U.S. women’s team received a $110,000 bonus for winning the 2019 World Cup, AP reported.
FIFA is awarding $440 million in prize money to the 32 countries at this year’s World Cup, which pales in comparison to the $30 million for the 24 teams at the 2019 Women’s World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed that the organization double the women’s prize money to $60 million for the 2023 World Cup after increasing the teams to 32.
Whether this year’s tournament will result in more pooled earnings for both U.S. national teams depends on the outcome of the next match.
The U.S. men’s team takes on the Netherlands at 9:00 a.m. CT on Saturday.
