The time has come for women's soccer, and it's time for FIFA to take it seriously, according to U.S. lawmakers.
Reps. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) and 26 of their congressional colleagues on Tuesday sent an open letter to FIFA President Sepp Blatter calling on soccer's global governing body to make good on its stated mission to “develop football everywhere and for all.”
Advertisement
“FIFA and other corporate actors often cite the weak American and global market for women’s sports in order to justify these inequities,” Speier said in a statement. “This year the Women’s World Cup has proven that it’s time to shelve this false perception. There is ample evidence that FIFA has underinvested in women’s sports out of motives ranging from apathy to discrimination."
The full letter is below, but here are the four big things Speier and supporters are asking of FIFA:
Equal pay for men's and women's teams
For actually winning the world cup, Team USA took home $2 million in prize money from FIFA. Team Germany, which won the men's tournament in 2014, took home $35 million. As CNN notes, "that works out to a little less than 6 cents on the dollar."
Advertisement
Even more insulting, the men's teams that weren't even able to make it out of the first round still received four times as much as the championship women, according to CNN. For surviving the knockout round of the tournament, the U.S. men's team got $9 million.
To recap:
First-place finish by a women's team = $2 million
Eleventh-place finish by a men's team = $9 million
Update policies to reflect popularity of the women's game
It was no surprise that New York went bonkers for Team USA when they had their ticker tape parade in the city last month: The 2015 Women’s World Cup turned out to be the most-viewed soccer game in American history, with 26.7 million viewers turning in (as Spier noted in a statement, that's more than the 2014 Men’s World Cup, the NBA Finals, the World Series or the Stanley Cup).
"It is time to give up these flimsy rationalizations and recognize that women’s sports are popular, and as the status of women worldwide improves, the sport will only become more popular," Spier said in a statement. "FIFA is positioned to become the engine of investment in global women’s soccer, and could easily do so if it were to decide that it was a worthwhile goal."
Advertisement
Boost global investment in women's soccer
U.S. women's soccer legend July Foudy in a July 8 editorial for ESPN W said "our uproar" of the men's vs. women's pay discrepancy is misplaced, explaining:
FIFA will tell you the men get more because the market says so (cue the lava coming out of my ears). Of course it does because what, really, has FIFA done to help the market care about women's football?
Spain's women's team embodies FIFA's cultural lack of interest in the women's game, which needs to be fixed, Foudy previously told HuffPost.
“Look at Spain. Same coach for 27 years. One World Cup appearance and two appearances in the European Championships. They’re never demanding more. It shows the apathy," Foudy said.
Players even filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against FIFA for making women play on a harder surface that is rougher on the body, changes the style of play and typically results in fewer goals scored.
The Most Badass Photos From The Women’s World Cup Final
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.