The U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) anticipates their chance to compete in the World Cup next summer in Brazil, yet their financial prospects have been enhanced by the performance of their male counterparts in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Jeff Kassouf from ESPN has reported that the USMNT secured $16 million in FIFA prize money for U.S. Soccer by advancing to the Round of 16.
According to Kassouf, this prize money is to be equally divided among the 26 men in the current team and the 26 women who will compose next year’s roster for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. This assumes the U.S. qualifies for the tournament. The collective bargaining agreements finalized in 2022 between U.S. Soccer and both national teams stipulate this equitable distribution of World Cup prize money. These agreements follow nearly six years of advocacy and legal action by the women’s national team to achieve equal pay.
Men’s and women’s players equally share World Cup prize money under terms of the collective bargaining agreements that were ratified by U.S. Soccer with both national teams in 2022.
Kassouf’s projection indicates $6.4 million will be allocated to the 26 USWNT players next year, contingent on their qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
While monetary rewards are significant, the USMNT aspires to match the USWNT’s on-field achievements at the World Cup. On July 6, the USMNT faced a 4-1 defeat against Belgium, leading to another Round-of-16 elimination. The last time the USMNT reached the World Cup quarterfinals was in 2002, with their highest achievement being a semifinal finish at the inaugural 1930 World Cup, as reported by ESPN. With the men’s World Cup hosted in the U.S. for the first time since 1994, this summer seemed opportune for overcoming the enduring Round-of-16 barrier. However, they now face another four years of strategizing to surmount this challenge.
Concurrently, the USWNT is set to pursue their fifth World Cup title next summer, contingent on qualification. Their goal is to improve upon an unexpectedly subpar performance at the 2023 World Cup, where they were bested by Sweden in the Round of 16. The USWNT has previously triumphed in the World Cup in 1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019. Spain currently holds the title of reigning champion.