Alex Morgan Shares “Mortified” US Soccer Meeting That Shook Equal Pay Fight

“It was six years of our lives we can’t get back.” That’s how Alex Morgan described the USWNT’s battle for equal pay against the US Soccer Federation. In the end, though, the outcome justified the struggle—securing not only the income they deserved but also leaving a lasting impact on future generations, other national teams, and even various women’s sports leagues around the world. Yet, alongside those hard-earned victories came some disheartening and surprising moments—one of which Morgan admitted left the retired striker and her teammates “mortified.”

Remarkably, when the issue of equal pay first came to light, there was plenty of skepticism surrounding the controversy. While some showed support, others did not—going as far as to question the players’ stance and label them “greedy.” As the movement gained traction, so did their fears about making the fight public. So, amidst all that negativity, how exactly did Alex Morgan and her teammates handle the situation? “I was really saddened, but I wasn’t surprised,” began the 36-year-old while making her latest guest appearance on the Alex Cooper-hosted Call Her Daddy podcast.

Why AM13 wasn’t surprised, you ask? Well, Morgan recalled attending the U.S. Soccer annual board meeting as a member of the athletes’ council, where participants had the chance to speak at the end. In a room of nearly 300 people, one board member took the microphone and said, “Our women’s team is so disappointing. They disgust me. They don’t deserve to be paid what they’re asking for. They don’t even deserve what they’re getting now.”

And guess what? This so-called esteemed former board member (yes, former, because winning equal pay led to the formation of a new board) went on with his speech for a full five minutes. But wait—it doesn’t end there! Imagine Morgan, surrounded by a crowd that, after hearing such words, actually applauded the man. No wonder the former San Diego Wave star recalled, “Us athletes were mortified, embarrassed on his behalf, but also like, ‘This is who’s making the decisions in this room? Okay, we have a lot of work to do.’“

No wonder that a fight which began alongside the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd, and Becky Sauerbrunn in 2016 soon turned into a pledge to dismantle the old mindset of the USSF. What started with a wage discrimination complaint quickly escalated into a class-action lawsuit by 2019, with Alex Morgan and Rapinoe leading the charge against systemic gender bias.

Their fearless advocacy made them the face of a global movement, one that ultimately pushed the USSF to the brink. By 2022, it all paid off, as the USWNT secured a landmark $24 million settlement—setting a precedent for gender equity in sports worldwide. Pretty neat, right? Well, it surely wouldn’t have been possible without fearless leaders like Morgan, Rapinoe, and many more. Then again, we bet there’s a crucial source of support you might not even be aware of!

Alex Morgan and Co. earned surprise support during the equal pay fight!

It’s ironic that Alex Morgan and her teammates’ fight centered on securing equal per-game pay with the men’s team, only for the USMNT players themselves to step in and back the cause—even agreeing to take a pay cut. Believe it or not, this surprising revelation came from U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “I do have to give a lot of credit to our men’s national team,” said Cindy, during her guest appearance on the RE—INC podcast.

She praised their role in making equal pay a reality, suggesting it may have required either 51% approval—or possibly as much as 99% support from the men—for the deal to pass. “No matter how you look at it, they were going to give up money to enable us to be able to do this. The fact that they got there, and that they were willing to do it was really important,” she concluded.

Either way, this remains a powerful testament to the Stars and Stripes, especially the American men, who never hesitated to back their female counterparts in the equal pay fight.