U.S. Soccer's 2022 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has implemented a landmark equal pay structure, ensuring that prize money from FIFA World Cup performances is shared equally between the men's and women's national teams. Following the men's U.S. team's $16 million prize for reaching the round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup, 20% was taken by the federation, and the remaining $12.8 million is split evenly between the two teams. Consequently, the women's team is set to receive $6.4 million from this prize pool, demonstrating a tangible outcome of the ongoing equal pay efforts.

The women’s squad has not yet qualified for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, but their potential prize money from that tournament will be shared with the 2026 men’s team, reflecting the CBA's continued application through 2028. Since the women's team has yet to be finalized, the $6.4 million from this year’s men’s payout will be held in an interest-bearing account, with accrued interest also to be divided equally once the team is selected. This arrangement originates from years of advocacy by the women's national team, who famously sued U.S. Soccer in 2019 and secured a $22 million settlement in 2022.

Historically, the U.S. women’s team has outperformed the men’s team on the world stage, winning the Women's World Cup four times while the men have not advanced beyond the round of 16 since 2002. Despite similar tournament progress in recent years, FIFA’s prize payouts have heavily favored men’s soccer — for example, the 2022 World Cup saw the men’s round-of-16 prize reach $13 million compared to just $1.87 million for the women. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has since expressed commitment to equalizing prize money between the 2026 men’s and 2027 women’s tournaments, and FIFA recently announced a record $871 million prize pool for the expanded 2026 men's competition.

In addition to prize money, players from both national teams receive $10,000 for each World Cup match played from U.S. Soccer. The recent elimination of the U.S. men’s team by Belgium, who will advance to face Spain, highlights the competitive context in which these financial developments are unfolding. FIFA’s prize money distribution significantly increases with each advancing round, rewarding quarterfinalists with at least $20 million and champions with $51 million, up from $42 million awarded to Argentina in 2022. Overall, this financial framework marks a meaningful stride towards pay equity in U.S. soccer.