The USMNT’s World Cup dreams ended with a disappointing Round of 16 loss to Belgium, and the backlash from the defeat has extended beyond the pitch. American soccer fans have turned their attention to US Soccer’s equal-pay agreement after learning that the men’s FIFA prize money will be shared with the USWNT.

The USMNT secured $16 million in prize money before the 4-1 loss to the Red Devils at the Seattle Stadium. Under the most recent collective bargaining agreement signed in 2022, the federation keeps 20% of that total, with the remaining $12.8 million split equally between the men’s and women’s teams.

Each side will receive $6.4 million, and each player gets roughly $246,000, despite the women’s team not competing in a World Cup until 2027. This effectively cuts the men’s team’s earnings by half.

Reports state that the USWNT’s share will be kept in an interest-bearing account until the final roster for the 2027 tournament is selected.

The specific arrangement from the CBA is a groundbreaking one, signed following a gender discrimination lawsuit. The women’s team won four World Cups, whereas the men have not made it past the Round of 16 since 2002. In 2019, members of the USWNT sued US Soccer, and the settlement that followed resulted in the current CBA. The pay-sharing structure is meant to address the gap between FIFA’s payout for the two tournaments.

The gap is clear even today. In 2022, the USMNT reached the Round of 16 and received $13 million, whereas the USWNT earned just $1.87 million for reaching the same stage in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Fans split over USMNT prize money being shared with USWNT

As news of the payout spread online, many fans questioned why the men’s World Cup earnings should be shared before the women even begin their tournament.

One fan wrote, “If the women weren’t paid properly and they brought in the same viewership and sold the same tickets, then absolutely. If no one watched the women… then why should they get more?”

Another argued that the arrangement hurts the growth of the sport in the US, writing, “And this is one of the reasons soccer doesn’t prosper here… others taking something it does not belong to them.”

Others used analogies to get their point across. One user posted, “That is like paying the band that plays at my local dive bar the same salary as Pearl Jam when they play MSG.”

Some fans questioned the principle behind the CBA itself. One such fan added, “Getting paid for doing nothing is crazy, so this is what they were calling equal pay. Pay regardless of work.”

Meanwhile, some took to sarcasm. One of these responses read, “All 39 USWNT fans will be thrilled to hear this.”