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The crowd at this weekend’s Fifa Women’ World Cup final were heard to chant “equal pay” as the US team picked up the winners’ trophy, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino was booed.
During a news conference on Saturday, US captain Megan Rapinoe argued that Fifa did not respect female athletes as much as their male counterparts and pointed out the difference in prize money.
After she led her team to a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands on Sunday, the crowd led their support by chanting “equal pay”.
The prize for the 2018 men’s World Cup was $400 million, while female players will receive $30 million this year. Infantino has said he will double the women’s prize in 2023.
Rapinoe said: “It certainly is not fair. We should double it now and use that number to double it or quadruple it for the next time.”
In March, 28 members of the US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) sued the US Soccer Federation for discrimination, claiming it paid the women less than the men’s national team “for substantially equal work”. They also said they were denied equal playing, training and travel conditions, and received less promotion than the men’s national team.
Molly Levinson, spokeswoman for the USWNT players in their equal pay lawsuit, said at the weekend: “At this moment of tremendous pride for America, the sad equation remains all too clear, and Americans won’t stand for it anymore.
“These athletes generate more revenue and garner higher TV ratings but get paid less simply because they are women. It is time for the Federation to correct this disparity once and for all.”
The women footballers should follow the example of tennis and set up their own organising body. That way they can secure their own sponsorship/tv deals without having to rely on the mens game deciding how much funding they get. They can schedule their tournaments as they see fit as well. Win win.