09-15-2020
For the last several years, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has been engaged in a legal battle to obtain wages it believes would be equal to that paid to the men’s national team. Most of their claims were dismissed this year by a federal district court judge. The team is appealing that ruling.
In early September, Brazil announced that its national women’s team is now paid the same amount as its men’s national team. Brazil put the pay parity in place in March 2020. The women will receive the same daily rate and equal value in prizes as the men. “The women’s team that wins or progresses through the stages at next year’s Olympic Games will receive the same as the men.” The Brazilian men’s team is one of the most successful national teams in history. Its women’s team has not yet achieved anything close to that level of success. Australia, Norway, and New Zealand have also taken steps to work toward pay parity for their women’s national soccer teams.
England has announced that it too will be paying its men’s and women’s international teams equally. According to reports, this pay parity began in January, with the teams earning equal match fees and match bonuses.