USMNT’s $16m World Cup prize to be split equally with USWNT under landmark equal pay agreement

The United States men’s national team may have exited the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a disappointing 4-1 Round of 16 loss to Belgium in Seattle, but their financial consolation prize will ripple far beyond the men’s roster. Under a historic collective bargaining agreement signed in 2022, the $16 million in FIFA prize money earned by the USMNT will be shared equally with the U.S. women’s national team.

The Numbers

The U.S. Soccer Federation will retain 20% of the $16 million prize — approximately $3.2 million. The remaining 80%, or $12.8 million, will be split evenly between the men’s and women’s player pools, granting each team 246,153.85 per player**.

Had the USMNT advanced past Belgium to the quarterfinals, the prize would have been $20 million, leaving $8 million per team. A World Cup title would have brought in $51 million.

How We Got Here

The revenue-sharing arrangement is the culmination of a nearly six-year legal battle by USWNT players, who sued U.S. Soccer in 2019 alleging gender discrimination. The lawsuit was settled in 2022 for $22 million, the same year both teams ratified collective bargaining agreements that run through 2028.

These CBAs were groundbreaking: they not only equalized World Cup prize money but also established identical performance-based bonuses, appearance fees, and commercial revenue-sharing mechanisms for both teams.

The pay gap these agreements addressed was stark. In the previous World Cup cycle, the USMNT earned $13 million for reaching the Round of 16 in 2022, while the USWNT received just $1.87 million for the same stage in 2023.

When the Women Get Paid

There is one catch: the USWNT must first qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. While widely considered a formality for the four-time world champions, they still face a win-and-in Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal against El Salvador on November 27.

The women’s $6.4 million share will be placed in an interest-bearing account until the 26-player roster is finalized next spring. Any interest earned, as well as any prize money the USWNT generates in Brazil, will also be split equally between both player pools.

Additional Compensation

Beyond the FIFA prize money, U.S. Soccer pays both men’s and women’s players $10,000 per World Cup match. For the USMNT’s five matches in this tournament, that adds an additional $50,000 per player.

Looking Ahead

The same revenue-sharing model will apply in reverse when the USWNT competes in the 2027 World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously stated his intention to equalize men’s and women’s World Cup prize money by 2027, though the dramatic increase in this year’s expanded men’s tournament — which nearly doubled prize money from four years ago — has complicated that goal.

For now, the USMNT’s Round of 16 exit stings, but the financial reward will be shared across both national teams — a lasting legacy of the USWNT’s fight for equal pay.