2016 – Equal Pay Lawsuit Filed

On March 31, 2016, five senior players from the U.S. Women’s National Team - Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Hope Solo - filed a wage-discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the U.S. Soccer Federation. They alleged that, despite generating nearly $20 million more in revenue than the men’s team in 2015, they were paid roughly a quarter of what their male counterparts earned. The complaint also cited unequal travel accommodations and inferior training support, exposing longstanding gender-based inequities in how U.S. Soccer compensated and treated its players (ESPN.com 2016).

This legal action marked a turning point in the team’s evolution from athletes to labor activists. It reframed their fight for fairness as a workplace rights issue, asserting that the players were not just global champions but workers demanding equal treatment under federal law. Their stand resonated beyond soccer, highlighting the need for a broader movement for gender equity in sports and labor.