US women's soccer finally secures equal pay with landmark deal that will split World Cup prize money jointly with men's team

• The US Women's National Soccer Team has won its longstanding battle for equal pay.
• US Soccer announced Wednesday that the US men's and women's teams agreed to identical CBAs.

After years of fighting its own federation for fair compensation, the US Women's National Soccer Team did what it does best.

Win.

US Soccer announced Wednesday that its men's and women's national teams had agreed to identical Collective Bargaining Agreements, securing equal pay for the women's players. Perhaps most notably, the deal equalizes World Cup prize money between the two national teams.

No other country's soccer federation has ever taken the step to split FIFA prize money, which is significantly higher on the men's side.

"The gains we have been able to achieve are both because of the strong foundation laid by the generations of WNT players that came before the current team and through our union's recent collaboration with our counterparts at the USNSTPA [the United States National Soccer Team Players Association, the men's players' association] and leadership at US Soccer," USWNT player and Players Association President Becky Sauerbrunn said in a statement.

"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."

Outside of the men's and women's teams' matching financial incentives, the new CBAs — which expire after 2028 — also establish indistinguishable health and safety, travel, accommodations, staffing, and field standards for the two squads.

The landmark agreement all but formally puts an end to the USWNT players' lawsuit against US Soccer, which sought equal pay and resources to those provided to the men's team.

Once the courts approve the settlement, the highly-publicized and years-long legal battle will finally come to a close.

"This is a truly historic moment. These agreements have changed the game forever here in the United States and have the potential to change the game around the world," US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement.

"US 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."