The USA men's team extended their stay in Qatar on Tuesday night with a nervy 1-0 victory over Iran in their Group B finale - and it also fired the first clause of its kind into full effect and handed the USWNT an estimated sum of $6.5m (£5.4m).
In May this year, the U.S. Soccer Federation reached landmark labour agreements with its men’s and women’s teams that guaranteed footballers presenting the country’s national teams would receive the same pay when competing in matches or tournaments on the international stage.
The landmark deal also included a novel and arguably more lucrative provision that unequal prize money payments received by U.S. Soccer would be pooled together and split evenly between the squads.
The provision is believed to be the first of its kind and after the US booked their place in the Round of 16 on Tuesday night, was set into motion.
A berth in the knockout stages earns each team an estimated prize pool of $13m (£11m), with the women’s team set to receive half, on top of the $4.5m (£3.7m) earned already from the men’s group stage participation.
The agreements reached earlier this year represented the culmination of a more than six-year campaign and eventual lawsuit lobbied by a group of stars from the World Cup-winning U.S. women’s national who accused the federation of ‘institutionalised gender discrimination’ and ignited a fierce diatribe in the country regarding per diems and competitive earnings.
The women’s team famously lost their case in federal court in 2020 but celebrated a relieving triumph at the negotiating table this year, helped in on small part by the men’s national team who privately agreed to share some of the millions of dollars in World Cup bonus money that they have traditionally received by pooling it with the smaller payments the women receive from their own championship.
"No other country has ever done this,” said U.S. Soccer’s president, Cindy Cone, of the deal to equalise World Cup payments at the time. “I think everyone should be really proud of what we’ve accomplished here. It really, truly, is historic.”
Gregg Berhaulter’s side is set for a Round of 16 with Louis Van Gaal's Netherlands on Saturday after finishing second in Group B qualifying. Progression to the quarter-finals would earn the country another £14m ($17m), and another £7m apportioned for the women’s team. A further run into the tournament could see the US bank a sum between £10m and £18m to split between the two squads.
The US face a fierce contest on Saturday against Cody Gakpo and co. who cruised to the top of Group A with seven points after a 2-0 win over tournament hosts Qatar. The US are the youngest side in the tournament but have shown impressive mettle in the group stages.
Kick-off is set for 3:00pm GMT on Saturday.
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