West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin proposed a bill on Tuesday to halt funding for the 2026 men’s World Cup until the UWNST receives equal pay.
What We Know:
- NBC News reported that the bill would slash funding to host cities and all of the participating organizations in the tournament including the U.S. Soccer Federation and FIFA.
- The UWNST’s win at the World Cup was a great victory for the entire country. But, the team is still fighting for equal pay.
- The women are involved in a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination. They accused the federation of paying the men’s team disproportionate amounts of money compared to the women’s team.
- Manchin told NBC News that he was inspired by a letter he received from Nikki Izzy-Brown, the head coach for West Virginia University’s women’s soccer team.
- The letter noted, “The women have won four titles, men none; the women’s viewership in the FIFA World Cup final outdrew the men in the United States by over three million (men 11.4, women 14.3).” This figure explains how the two teams compare in performance and their ability to draw in viewers.
The UWNST continues speaking up and powerful people are listening.
