U.S. Soccer and the U.S. women’s national team players released a statement Tuesday announcing they have resolved a class-action equal pay lawsuit, ending a nearly six-year battle for wage equality.
U.S. Soccer committed to giving both the women’s and men’s national teams equal rate of play in all friendlies and tournaments, including the World Cup. Current and former players involved in the case will also receive a total of $24 million, $2 million of which will go toward USWNT players in their postcareer endeavors and charitable efforts related to women’s soccer.
President Joe Biden congratulated the USWNT on Twitter for the resolution Tuesday.
“This is a long overdue victory in the fight for equal pay. I’m proud of the @USWNT for never giving up—on and off the field,” he said. “Now, let’s close the pay gap in every industry.”
The settlement is dependent on the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement for the USWNT and will be approved by a district court once it is finalized. Once in place, the litigation will be fully resolved.
In March 2016, five USWNT players accused U.S. Soccer of wage discrimination, filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The heated dispute put the governing body and women’s national team at odds, and saw on-field protests from the team.
Forward Megan Rapinoe, who was a part of the original complaint, has been heavily involved in the effort since its inception. On Tuesday, she went on Good Morning America and spoke on the agreement.
“I’m just so proud, to be honest. I’m so proud of all of the hard work that all of us did to get us here,” Rapinoe said. ”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 know, U.S. Soccer changed for the better.
“Obviously we can’t go back and undo the injustices that we faced, but the only justice coming out of this is that we know that something like this is never gonna happen again. We can move forward in making soccer the best sport we can in this country and set up the next generation so much better than we ever had it. ... We’re just very excited to have arrived here after a very long and arduous road.”
