US Women’s Soccer Actually Wins World Cups, but Makes Less than Loser Men’s Team
Ann Coulter may have lamented the fact that the United States Women’s National Soccer Team was more popular than the Kentucky Derby, but at least the popular pundit probably makes a decent salary in comparison. That’s because, compared to a Men’s National Soccer Team that’s never made it to a World Cup final, the champion USWNT makes substantially less money.
As Quartz points out, women soccer players in the US make as little as $6,842 a year, whereas the minimum annual salary cap for male players in Major League Soccer is $60,000. And while there isn’t a minimum for players in the National Women’s Soccer League, there’s definitely a maximum cap: $37,800.
Only players like Carli Lloyd, who scored a phenomenal hat trick in the first 16 minutes of play, are able to secure endorsement deals capable of supplementing their otherwise lackluster salaries. The rest must work second jobs or careers in order to avoid falling below the poverty line.
Internationally, things are much worse for women’s soccer. The USWNT will pocket a cool $2 million for its World Cup win against Japan over the weekend. Meanwhile, the winning German men’s team from the 2014 World Cup, earned an extra $35 million.
Quartz also provided four additional charts highlighting the massive discrepancies between women’s and men’s soccer — from the annual earnings of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Alex Morgan, to FIFA executive committee representation. Otherwise, hope you enjoyed Sunday’s game!
[h/t Quartz]
[Image via screengrab]
