USWNT, USMNT to receive equal pay after historic U.S. Soccer collective bargaining agreements

On Wednesday, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced historic new labor agreements that have finally addressed the fight for equal pay by the U.S. Women's National Team. 

Under the new agreements, U.S. Women's National Team members and their counterparts, the U.S. Men's National Team, will receive the same compensation for international matches. 

Also, the deal includes another history-making provision, such as a pool created to hold unequal payments from FIFA for participation in the World Cup. Beginning with the 2022 men's and 2023 women's World Cups, money earned from FIFA by both teams will be spread equally among both teams. In the past, the men's team greatly benefited from the multi-million dollar payments from FIFA, while the women's team received just a fraction of that pot in the past. 

"No other country has ever done this," U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said, via The New York Times. "I think everyone should be really proud of what we've accomplished here. It really, truly is historic." 

According to The New York Times report, players from both U.S. National Teams can expect annual payouts of $450,000, which can double for World Cup years.

The new agreements will run through 2028.

This news comes just two years after the U.S. Women's Team's unequal pay claim was dismissed before a federal judge rejected an immediate appeal to the decision. 

The fight for equal pay goes back even further, as the U.S Women's Team sued the U.S. Soccer Federation back in March of 2018 under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. At the time, U.S Women asked for more than $66 million in damages.