US women's national football team agrees to $24m settlement in equal pay battle

The US Soccer Federation on Tuesday settled a gender discrimination lawsuit with members of the US women's national team, agreeing to pay $24 million.

The case was filed in 2019 before the team won the World Cup. The 28 women who sued contended they were vastly underpaid compared to the men's team.

In a joint statement, the USWNT and the federation dedicated the agreement to current and former women's football leaders in the US.

“Getting to this day has not been easy,” the statement said. “The US women's national team players have achieved unprecedented success while working to achieve equal pay for themselves and future athletes.”

U.S. Soccer and @USWNT are proudly standing together in a shared commitment to advancing equality in soccer. pic.twitter.com/Sp8q7NY0Up

Under the terms of the settlement, the players will divide a lump sum of $22m while the other $2m will be placed into an account dedicated to supporting charities focused on women's and girls' football as well as helping players pursue their post-football career goals.

The settlement is contingent, however, on the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement between the two sides.

The federation also agreed to pay the members of the men's and women's national teams the same amount in the future, whether they are competing in friendly matches or the World Cup.

The men's team has historically received significantly higher bonuses outside and during World Cup competitions, ESPN reported.

USWNT star Megan Rapinoe celebrated Tuesday's win as “a really amazing day” during an appearance with long-time teammate Alex Morgan on Good Morning America.

“It’s a really amazing day. I think we're going to look back on this day and say this is the moment that, you