United States — The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) is set to receive a significant financial boost from the U.S. Men’s National Team’s (USMNT) performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite not competing in the tournament.Under U.S. Soccer’s landmark equal pay collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), the prize money earned by either national team at FIFA World Cup tournaments is pooled and shared equally between the men’s and women’s player groups.

The USMNT secured $16 million in prize money after advancing to the Round of 16 at the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup before suffering a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the knockout stage.In accordance with the agreement, U.S. Soccer retains 20 per cent of all FIFA World Cup prize money, while the remaining 80 per cent is divided equally between the men’s and women’s national team player pools.

As a result, both the USMNT and the USWNT are expected to receive $6.4 million each from the men’s World Cup campaign. Based on a standard 26-player squad, each player would receive approximately $246,153, although the final distribution for the women’s team will not occur until after qualification and squad selection for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Women’s Share to Be Held Until 2027

Although the USWNT is entitled to half of the players’ share, the funds will not be distributed immediately.The team has yet to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted in Brazil, and the final tournament roster will only be determined closer to the competition.

Until then, the money allocated to the women’s player pool will remain in an interest-bearing account. Any interest generated during that period will also be shared equally between the men’s and women’s player pools under the terms of the agreement.

Equal Pay Agreement Continues to Shape U.S. Soccer

The revenue-sharing arrangement stems from the historic equal pay campaign led by members of the USWNT. For years, players argued that despite their sustained success on the international stage, they received significantly lower compensation than their male counterparts because FIFA awarded substantially higher prize money for the men’s tournament than for the women’s competition.

The issue culminated in 2019, when members of the women’s national team filed a lawsuit against U.S. Soccer, alleging gender discrimination in pay and working conditions.The legal dispute ended with a landmark settlement in 2022, followed by new collective bargaining agreements for both the men’s and women’s national teams.

One of the most groundbreaking provisions introduced under those agreements was the pooling and equal sharing of FIFA World Cup prize money, regardless of which team earned it.The arrangement was designed to reduce the financial disparities created by FIFA’s unequal prize structures while ensuring that both national teams benefit from each other’s success on the world stage.

Previous World Cup Prize Gap

The need for such a system became evident during the previous World Cup cycle.At the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar, the USMNT earned approximately $13 million after reaching the Round of 16. By comparison, the USWNT received just $1.87 million after reaching the same stage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The significant difference reflected FIFA’s vastly different prize pools for the two tournaments, despite both teams achieving identical competitive results. Under the current agreement, those disparities are effectively offset through the equal sharing mechanism.

Missed Opportunity for Bigger Reward

While the USMNT’s Round-of-16 finish secured a sizeable financial return, the team narrowly missed out on an even larger payout.A victory over Belgium would have seen the United States advance to the quarter-finals, increasing FIFA’s prize money allocation from $16 million to $20 million.

After U.S. Soccer’s 20 per cent share, that would have left $16 million for players to divide equally between the men’s and women’s teams, giving each player pool $8 million instead of $6.4 million.However, Belgium’s emphatic 4-1 victory ended the Americans’ World Cup campaign in the Round of 16, marking another early knockout-stage exit. The USMNT has now failed to progress beyond the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup since reaching the quarter-finals in 2002.

USWNT Could Return the Favour in 2027

Although the women’s team will benefit from the men’s prize money this year, the arrangement works both ways. Should the USWNT qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and earn prize money through its performance in Brazil, the men’s national team will receive an equal share under the same collective bargaining agreement. The reciprocal arrangement ensures that players from both national teams benefit equally from FIFA World Cup prize earnings, regardless of which tournament generates the revenue.

A Landmark Model in International Football

The U.S. Soccer equal pay agreement remains one of the most progressive compensation models in international football.Unlike many national football associations, where men’s and women’s teams receive separate prize money based solely on FIFA’s allocations, U.S. Soccer has adopted a system that pools World Cup earnings before distributing them equally. Supporters of the agreement say it recognizes the shared responsibility of representing the United States on the international stage while addressing longstanding disparities in FIFA’s prize money structures.

As the USWNT prepares for qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, its players already stand to benefit from the USMNT’s efforts at the 2026 tournament.Although the men’s World Cup campaign ended earlier than many supporters had hoped, its financial impact will extend beyond the tournament itself, providing millions of dollars to both national teams under one of the most significant equal pay agreements in world sport.