The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), the governing body for international soccer in the United States, and the unions representing the women’s and men’s national soccer teams, U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association, and the U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association have reached a pair of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with identical economic terms. For the first time, equal pay to the players of each team will be provided.

The historic agreements also resolve the long-running equal pay lawsuit women players had brought against USSF. The labor contracts run through 2028.

The key driver in pay disparity between the compensation for the Men’s and Women’s National Teams (USMNT and USWNT, respectively) had been the World Cup prize money received by them from FIFA, the international soccer governing body. The prize money for the men’s World Cup has been about 10 times as large as that of the women’s World Cup. While that disparity, though smaller, will continue, the Men’s and Women’s National Teams and USSF have agreed to pool the prize money received from FIFA for the next two pairs of men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments and divide the players’ share of the pool equally between the players on the two teams. No other country’s soccer federation pools prize money and divides it equally to its men’s and women’s national teams.

USSF will sign separate labor contracts with each union, but the economic terms of each will be the same. These include appearance fees (for participating in a training camp) and game bonuses (for being named to a gameday roster), other prize money, and commercial revenue share. Single game payments can amount to $18,000 for matches, while tournament prize money can reach as much as $24,000 per game. This will ensure that the USMNT and USWNT will both be among the highest paid national teams throughout the world.

USSF has issued a fact sheet providing an overview of the terms reached in both CBAs. Generally, prize money from non-World Cup FIFA tournaments, regional tournaments, and other official tournaments in which both the USWNT and USMNT participate also will be pooled. For the first time, the contracts provide that USSF will share a portion of broadcast, apparel, and sponsorship revenue with the players’ share divided equally between USWNT and USMNT. Ticket revenue and game sellout bonuses also will be equal for the USWNT and USMNT. Further, non-economic conditions are being equalized. Playing surfaces, travel, accommodations, and national team training staffs (allowing for the unique needs of each team) will be the same. Guaranteed salaries and other benefits enjoyed by the USWNT are no longer needed as the various domestic women’s league continue to prosper.

While certain claims from the USWNT lawsuit settled in 2020, these labor negotiations will end litigation that commenced six years ago, which had an impact on sponsorship along with ongoing amassing legal fees. Part of the settlement included a $24 million pool of money that would be paid out upon reaching an agreement on these CBAs that provided the formal terms for equal pay between both teams. Now, the class members can seek a court order to certify the settlement so the payments can be issued to players.

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Photo of Patrick L. Egan Patrick L. Egan

Patrick L. Egan is a principal in the Boston, Massachusetts, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Patrick works in traditional labor law.

He has assisted employers in all industries in all phases of union organizing campaigns. Patrick has represented employers in card-signing efforts and…

Patrick L. Egan is a principal in the Boston, Massachusetts, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Patrick works in traditional labor law.

He has assisted employers in all industries in all phases of union organizing campaigns. Patrick has represented employers in card-signing efforts and representation and decertification campaigns. He has conducted union awareness and positive employee relations training for hundreds of companies and employer groups. He has also assisted dozens of employers to preempt, prepare for and defend against union corporate campaigning.

Patrick has appeared for employers in representation, objections and challenged ballot hearings at the National Labor Relations Board. He has also represented employers in unfair labor practice charge investigations and trials. Patrick has also represented employers before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other state and federal agencies. Patrick has served as chief spokesman at hundreds of collective bargaining negotiations, including negotiations seeking a first contract and those aimed at reaching a successor contract. He speaks frequently before various employer and human resources groups on a variety of labor relations topics.

Patrick was a four-year starter and a senior captain of the varsity soccer team at Holy Cross.

After practicing management-side labor law at smaller firms in Springfield and Boston, Massachusetts, Patrick joined Jackson Lewis in 1990. He was elected a partner effective January 1, 1995.

Photo of Ryan C. Chapoteau Ryan C. Chapoteau

Ryan C. Chapoteau is a principal in the New York City, New York, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. His practice focuses on representing employers ranging from early stage startups to Fortune 50 companies throughout a broad spectrum of industries in workplace law matters.…

Ryan C. Chapoteau is a principal in the New York City, New York, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. His practice focuses on representing employers ranging from early stage startups to Fortune 50 companies throughout a broad spectrum of industries in workplace law matters.

Ryan has experience litigating in federal court, state court and before administrative agencies, while also appearing regularly at arbitrations and mediations. Ryan defends employers in a wide variety of employment matters, such as discrimination, disability and leave management, harassment, and retaliation claims as well as wage and hour cases. Ryan’s experience includes single-plaintiff litigation along with collective and class action lawsuits.

Ryan also ensures his clients receive up-to-date guidance on applicable federal, state, and local labor and employment laws to provide preventative advice and counseling, ranging from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, the New York State Labor Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law. He also counsels clients on all aspects of their employment relationships, including developing and implementing human resources policies, conducting workplace investigations and trainings, issuing discipline, as well as providing insight on relevant industry trends.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Ryan worked at a worldwide law firm and received a client service award while concentrating on insurance coverage and employment law matters.

While in law school, Ryan participated in the Boston University Civil Litigation Program where he litigated matters concerning employment, housing, family and disability law. He also served as an Articles Editor for the university’s Public Interest Law Journal.  Ryan graduated law school with honors in a concentration in Litigation and Dispute Resolution.

Outside of work, Ryan devotes his time to mentoring students from his alma matters, Phillips Academy, Muhlenberg College, and Boston University, as well as supporting Prep for Prep, a not-for-profit organization focused on the educational advancement of minority youth in New York City.