5 top female soccer players accuse USSF of wage bias

Photo credit: AFP

Five members of the US National Women’s Team said Thursday they have filed a complaint against the US Soccer Federation alleging wage discrimination, insisting they should be paid the same as their male counterparts.

“I think that we’ve proven our worth over the years. Just coming off of a World Cup win, the pay disparity between the men and women is just too large. And we want to continue to fight,” World Cup MVP Carli Lloyd said in an interview on NBC’s Today show.

Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Rebecca Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo and Alex Morgan filed the complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The women’s team won the 2015 World Cup, soccer’s most prestigious event, while the US men’s team lost in the round of 16.

SEE MORE: US Soccer Federation sues World Cup-winning US Women’s National Team

The women earned just $2 million in prize money, which the federation distributed to the women and the organization, while the losing men’s team picked up $9 million.

The men’s team that won the World Cup, Germany, was paid $35 million in prize money.

“We believe now the time is right because we believe it’s a responsibility for women’s sports, specifically women’s soccer, to really do whatever it takes for equal pay and equal rights and to be treated with respect,” Solo said in the interview with the Today show.