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USWNT achieves equal pay with new labor deal

(Jesse Louie/Just Women’s Sports)

The U.S. women’s and men’s national soccer team have closed the pay gap between the sides with new labor deals announced Wednesday.

With the landmark collective bargaining agreements, the United States becomes the first country to achieve equal pay for its men’s and women’s soccer teams, according to the U.S. Soccer Federation. Both agreements run through 2028.

Notably, the deals stipulates equal FIFA World Cup prize money for the women’s and men’s teams. Both teams will pool their World Cup bonuses and split them evenly, helping to bring balance to FIFA’s still gender-imbalanced payouts.

U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone advocated for such a split when speaking with Just Women’s Sports last November.

“Until FIFA actually equalizes their own prize money, I would love for the men’s team and the women’s team to come together with U.S. Soccer to find a solution,” Parlow Cone said. “My ideal vision is for FIFA to equalize not only the World Cup prize money, but to equalize their investment in the women’s and girls’ game.

“But until FIFA equalizes it, it’s up to us. And by us, I mean U.S. Soccer, the women’s team and the men’s team coming together to find a solution.”

As of late March, equalizing the FIFA prize money had been the biggest holdup in negotiations.

For the next World Cup competitions, 10 percent of the prize money will be given to the federation. For the 2026/2027 competitions, 20 percent will be paid to USSF. The rest will be divided equally amongst the two teams.

For tournaments that are not the World Cup but are effectively the same for men and women – think Gold Cup and W Gold Cup – 70 percent of the prize money will be pooled and split between the two teams in the same manner.

With the new deal, the USWNT players are giving up guaranteed contracts to shift to a pay-for-play structure like the men. The number of players on guaranteed contracts was at 16 before the new CBA. Instead, USWNT players will receive appearance fees and game bonuses for training camp and game participation.

“The way that this new CBA is structured, we’ve increased the amount of risk with your paycheck,” Midge Purce, a member of the USWNTPA CBA committee, told The Athletic. But increases in NWSL salaries have helped soften the blow of the money now coming on a per-game basis.

“The ability to do that has come a lot from the strength that the NWSL has gained in the past few years,” Purce told ESPN. “We have a strong enough league here at home where we can depend on those salaries a little bit more and leave a little more risk up to the national team. And I think that’s really helped free up that risk.”

There’s also more incentive to schedule better opponents for friendlies. In USSF-controlled matches, for opponents ranked in the top 25 of FIFA’s rankings, players will receive $18,000 for a win, $12,000 for a draw and $8,000 for a loss. The amounts are less for all other opponents – $13,000 for a win, $10,000 for a draw and $8,000 for a loss.

In addition to the shift, an equal number of players will be named to men’s and women’s gameday rosters, increasing the majority of USWNT rosters to 23 players from the usual 18. That means that in addition to the better bonuses, more players will have the opportunity to earn them.

The increase in pay means that, according to USA Today, the USWNT players who participate in this summer’s World Cup qualifying tournament could earn up to $120,000 – a 68 percent increase from 2018.

One big step toward equal distribution of earnings, according to USMNT center back Walker Zimmerman, came when the men’s players sat down with the women’s players as they attempted to negotiate their contract.

“I would say that’s when the reality hit,” he told The Athletic. “Like, ‘Yeah, this is what we need to do, this is what has to happen to grow the game beyond just the men’s team and the women’s team, but to grow it at the grassroots level.’

“I think that’s kind of what sold it at the end of the day, is that this is what’s right and that this is an opportunity to do what no other national team has done.”

As a first for both national teams, U.S. Soccer will now share a portion of broadcast, apparel and sponsorship revenue. That share will then be divided equally amongst the two teams. A set number will be given per ticket sold at home games controlled by the federation, with a 10 percent bonus for sell-outs. As for commercial revenues, once the threshold of earnings hits $55 million, each national team will receive 10 percent. If that number surpasses $75 million, each team will receive 15 percent.

With the ratification of the new CBA, the USWNT’s equal pay lawsuit settlement can now be resolved following approval from both the players and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Improved working conditions for both sides have been included in the new contracts. Childcare will be provided to USMNT players – something which has been included for the women for more than 25 years. Additionally, field surfaces, staffing, travel and accommodations will be equitable.

In a statement, USWNTPA president Becky Sauerbrunn called the accomplishments a testament “to the incredible efforts of WNT players on and off the field.”

“We hope that this agreement and its historic achievements in not only providing for equal pay but also in improving the training and playing environment for National Team players will similarly serve as the foundation for continued growth of women’s soccer both in the United States and abroad,” she said.

Parlow Cone, who has been largely instrumental in getting a deal done and was supported by USWNT players in her re-election campaign against former president Carlos Cordeiro, called the moment “historic.”

“These agreements have changed the game forever here in the United States and have the potential to change the game around the world,” she said in a statement. “U.S. Soccer and the USWNT and USMNT players have reset their relationship with these new agreements and are leading us forward to an incredibly exciting new phase of mutual growth and collaboration as we continue our mission to become the preeminent sport in the United States.”

NWSL Week 10 Primed to Shake Up the Standings

17-year-old Kimmi Ascanio celebrates her third NWSL goal with her San Deigo teammates Perle Morroni, Kristen McNabb, and Delphine Cascarino.
The San Diego Wave are unbeaten in their last five NWSL games. (Howard Smith/Getty Images)

In a season packed with parity, the NWSL enters its 10th weekend of the 2025 season with just seven points separating No. 2 San Diego from No. 12 Houston on the table — meaning a single win or loss could dramatically shift the standings.

The slate is a bit lighter this weekend with No. 4 Portland and No. 8 Gotham's trip to the 2024/25 Concacaf W Champions Cup knockouts, where the Bats will face Liga MX side Tigres UANL tournament final shortly after Portland's third-place match against Club América on Saturday (Paramount+).

Their absence leaves room for other NWSL clubs to leapfrog the Thorns and Gotham on the league table, with only No. 1 Kansas City's position secure given the Current's four-point lead over the Wave.

What to watch in the 10th weekend of the 2025 NWSL season

No. 6 Seattle Reign vs. No. 5 Washington Spirit, 10:00 PM ET on Friday (Prime): The Reign hosts a Spirit side with a 4-0-0 road record on the season and a high-octane offense that's scoring nine goals in their last three matches. Meanwhile, Seattle's 2025 campaign has featured only eight total goals across their nine matches.

No. 14 Chicago Stars vs. No. 1 Kansas City Current, 7:30 PM ET on Saturday (ION): While the league-leading Current is safe atop the NWSL table this weekend, their match is still full of question marks as Kansas City is without several key players, including MVP frontrunner Debinha, after a spat of injuries last weekend.

No. 2 San Diego Wave vs. No. 9 North Carolina Courage, 10:00 PM ET on Sunday (CBS Sports): The Wave are riding the league's best record (4-0-1) over the last five games, but the Courage is also on the rise, coming to Seattle on a 3-0-1 stretch and achingly close to a lift above the playoff line.

With San Diego's 17-year-old midfielder Kimmi Ascanio blasting three goals in the last four games and North Carolina attacker Jaedyn Shaw — the Wave's original teen scoring phenom — returning for the first time to face her former club, Sunday's closing NWSL match could be rife with youth firepower.

Fever, Liberty Ride Thursday Wins into Head-to-Head WNBA Weekend Clash

Fever star Caitlin Clark lays up a shot during Indiana's win over Atlanta.
Clark finished with 11 points and six assists despite shooting 0-for-5 from three. (Joe Boatman/Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever and New York Liberty will bring winning momentum into their first season clash on Saturday, with each claiming victories in Thursday night's WNBA action.

First, the Fever avenged their lone 2025 season loss, defeating the Dream 81-76 on Atlanta's new home court on Thursday after narrowly falling to the Georgia squad in Indianapolis two days earlier.

Forward Natasha Howard led Indiana with 26 points, with guards Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark posting 17 and 11 points, respectively.

After missing the Fever's first two games with a right ankle sprain, guard Sophie Cunningham came off the bench to put up nine points, six rebounds, and three assists in her season debut on Thursday.

Notably, Clark — no stranger to historic streaks — saw her three-point stretch end in Thursday's win, with the second-year Fever star going cold from beyond the arc for the first time in her WNBA career.

Clark's five three-point misses snapped a 140-game sharpshooting streak that dates back to a matchup against Purdue her sophomore season at the University of Iowa — the only NCAA game in which she failed to make a three.

New York, on the other hand, couldn't miss from deep on Thursday, with the Liberty breaking the WNBA regular-season record with 19 three-pointers in their 99-74 win over the Chicago Sky.

Eight Liberty players contributing to the new three-point mark, with guards Natasha Cloud and Kennedy Burke leading the charge with four threes each in respective 18- and 17-point performances.

The impressive sharpshooting landed the reigning WNBA champs in the regular-season history books, but New York's 19 threes still trail the overall league record of 23, drained by the Las Vegas Aces in a 2022 playoff game.

How to watch the New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever this weekend

The Liberty will put their 2-0 record to the test in Indiana on Saturday, tipping off against the one-loss Fever at 1 PM ET.

Live coverage of the clash will air on CBS.

Arsenal, Barcelona Chase History in 2024/25 UEFA Champions League Final

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League trophy, medal, and game ball sit on the Estádio José Alvalade pitch in Portugal.
Arsenal and Barcelona will meet in Saturday’s 2024/25 Champions League final. (Florencia Tan Jun - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final kicks off on Saturday, as underdogs Arsenal and defending champs Barcelona each chase history in a head-to-head clash at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Spanish titans aren't just hunting their third European championship in a row — a victory keeps Barcelona's hopes of completing a second straight quadruple alive with their Copa de la Reina finale looming next month.

To do so, however, they'll have to outlast the only English team to ever lift the European trophy, a feat Arsenal accomplished back in 2007.

Making their first Champions League final in 18 years, this season's Gunners are scrappy, boasting an explosive offense that led the league in scoring behind joint-WSL Golden Boot winner Alessia Russo.

The WSL runners-up bounced back from three first-leg deficits against Häcken FC, Real Madrid, and OL Lyonnes en route to the championship match — leading Barcelona star midfielder Aitana Bonmatí to call their appearance "a surprise."

"They absolutely deserve it, because scoring four goals against [eight-time Champions League winners] Lyon in the second leg is not easy at all," the back-to-back Ballon d'Or winner told ESPN. "I congratulate them for that because I think it was a big surprise, but a well-deserved one."

On Saturday, the pair will square off for the first time since 2021, when Barcelona defeated Arsenal twice in Champions League group-stage play.

"It's going to be a tough game — it's a final," said Barcelona defender Caroline Graham Hansen. "You just have to be prepared to leave your heart and soul out there and see who the better team on the day will be."

How to watch the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final

Arsenal and Barcelona will battle for European glory at 12 PM ET on Saturday, with the Champions League grand finale streaming live on DAZN.

Injury Blast Hits Kansas City Current as Season Ends for Defender Alana Cook

Kansas City center back Alana Cook battles Orlando striker Barbra Banda for the ball during a 2025 NWSL match.
Cook tore her left knee's ACL, MCL, and meniscus in last Friday's NWSL match. (Dustin Markland/NWSL via Getty Images)

The NWSL's Kansas City Current officially placed defender Alana Cook on the Season Ending Injury list on Thursday, after the center back tore her left ACL, MCL, and meniscus in last Friday's 1-0 win over Orlando.

Since joining the Current in a 2024 midseason trade from Seattle, the 28-year-old starter has anchored the backline of her new team to the tune of 10 shutouts in 19 matches.

The injury is also a setback to Cook's USWNT return, with the defender logging her 30th cap and first international minutes since October 2023 just last month.

"Alana has made a big impact for our club on and off the pitch in a short period of time, and our hearts absolutely break for her," said Kansas City head coach and Cook's former USWNT boss Vlatko Andonovski in a club statement.

"Throughout her career, Alana has proven to be determined, resilient, and disciplined with an optimistic spirit," he continued. "We are confident she will carry those same attributes into her recovery process. The team will stand by her every step of the way, and we eagerly await the day she is able to join us on the pitch again."

Kansas City attack also suffers injury losses

Cook's season-ending knock wasn't the only blow to the NWSL-leading Current, as attacking midfielder Debinha and striker Temwa Chawinga also exited Friday's pitch with injuries. With five goals each, both are currently in a four-way tie for second in the Golden Boot race.

Andonovski told the media on Wednesday that while 2024 MVP Chawinga is still undergoing evaluation, Debinha "is not probably going to be back until after the summer."

With both being considered 2025 MVP frontrunners, the losses may leave fans wondering how long Kansas City can maintain their spot atop the league.

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