USWNT to Benefit from USMNT’s World Cup Prize Earnings

The U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) will not participate in the World Cup until next summer in Brazil. However, the team stands to financially benefit from the performance of the U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf, the USMNT earned $16 million in FIFA prize money by advancing to the Round of 16.

The prize money will be split evenly between the 26 men on the U.S. roster and the 26 women on the roster for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, provided the team qualifies, Kassouf reported.

This equitable distribution of World Cup prize money reflects the terms of collective bargaining agreements ratified by U.S. Soccer with both national teams in 2022. These agreements followed nearly six years of advocacy and legal action by the women’s team for pay parity.

Kassouf estimates that $6.4 million will be allocated to 26 USWNT players next year, contingent upon qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

While the financial gain is significant, the USMNT covets the on-field success achieved by the USWNT at past World Cups. On July 6, the USMNT suffered a 4-1 defeat to Belgium, resulting in another Round-of-16 exit. The men’s team has not reached the quarterfinal stage since 2002, and their best result was a semifinal spot in the inaugural 1930 World Cup.

With the World Cup hosted on U.S. soil for the first time since 1994, there was hope that the USMNT might overcome its recurring Round-of-16 struggles. Unfortunately, they face another four years of strategizing on how to advance further in the tournament.

In the meantime, assuming they qualify, the USWNT aims to compete for its fifth World Cup title next summer. This is an opportunity to rectify their unexpected performance at the 2023 World Cup, where they were eliminated by Sweden in the Round of 16. Previously, the USWNT secured World Cup victories in 1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019. Spain currently holds the championship title.