‘Monumental win!’ Megan Rapinoe celebrates as US women’s football team settle $24m equal pay lawsuit

Megan Rapinoe has lauded the successful end of a six-year legal battle between American soccer’s governing body and its international women’s players over equal pay as a ‘monumental win’.

The U.S. Soccer Federation and the women announced a deal Tuesday that will have players split $22million, about one-third of what they had sought in damages.

The USSF also agreed to establish a fund with $2million to benefit the players in their post-soccer careers and charitable efforts aimed at growing the sport for women.

The settlement was a victory for the players, who sparked fans to chant ‘Equal Pay!’ when they won their second straight title in France in 2019.

Rapinoe, who has long campaigned vehemently and articulately for equal pay, was the player of the tournament three years ago, but this victory represents an accomplishment that outstrips anything she has achieved on the field of play.

‘There’s no real justice in this other than this never happening again,’ Rapinoe told ESPN.

‘With the settlement of the working conditions and this settlement which is contingent upon a CBA that will have equal pay going forward, there’s no other way to look at it than just a monumental win for women’s sports and women’s soccer, in particular.’

In a further interview with AP, she added: ‘For our generation, knowing that we’re going to leave the game in an exponentially better place than when we found it is everything.

‘That’s what it’s all about because, to be honest, there is no justice in all of this if we don’t make sure it never happens again.’

While a labour contract remains to be reached and ratified to replace the deal that expires on March 31, the settlement still represents an enormous step.

‘It’s so gratifying to feel like we can start to