Sports

U.S. World Cup Win Sparks Sales, TV Ratings. Is Equal Pay Next?

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LYON, FRANCE - JULY 07: Megan Rapinoe of the USA lifts the FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy following her team's victory in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Photographer: Alex Grimm/Getty Images Europe

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By Eben Novy-Williams and Rebecca Greenfield

July 9, 2019 at 2:37 PM UTC

As the U.S. women’s soccer team prepared for the World Cup trophy presentation after the final Sunday, fans in the stadium chanted for something more meaningful. “Equal pay! Equal pay!” they yelled.

The team’s dominance in France intensified the pressure on U.S. Soccer, which is defending itself against charges of pay discrimination. It’s long argued that the U.S. Men’s National Team earns more than the women’s team does because the men generate more revenue, but this World Cup cycle has made that position more difficult.