MEGAN RAPINOE

The U.S. women's national team's efforts to secure equitable pay finally came to fruition this week when the players reached a collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Soccer that gives them the same pay as their male counterparts.

U.S. Soccer's agreement with its men's and women's national teams for equal pay has its roots in the past while it looks toward the future.

The U.S. Soccer Federation has reached milestone agreements to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally.

Tuesday, March 15, is Equal Pay Day and according to the National Committee on Pay Equity, the date symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.

President Joe Biden marked Equal Pay Day by spotlighting new steps aimed at closing the gender pay gap for federal workers and contractors.

Thirty-nine players on the women's national team endorsed Cindy Parlow Cone for a full four-year term as U.S. Soccer Federation president, a decision Friday that followed the settlement of six years of litigation between the players and the governing body. Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, among the leaders of the lawsuit, gave their endorsement to Cone a day before the vote by the USSF National Council. Cone is being challenged by her predecessor, Carlos Cordeiro, who was elected to a four-year term in 2018, then resigned in March 2020 after the organization sparked a backlash when its legal papers claimed the women had less physical ability and responsibility than their male counterparts.

Catarina Macario and Mallory Pugh each scored two goals and the U.S. women’s national team beat Iceland 5-0 on Wednesday night to win the SheBelieves Cup.

The settlement is contingent on the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement for USWNT and U.S. Soccer, which could take months.

The U.S. Soccer Federation committed to providing an equal rate of pay for the women's and men's national teams.

U.S. women soccer players have reached a landmark agreement with the sport’s American governing body to end a six-year legal battle over equal pay.

Ashley Hatch and Mallory Pugh scored second-half goals for the U.S. women’s national team and three own goals in the first half by New Zealand’s Meikayla Moore propelled the Americans to a 5-0 victory on Sunday in the SheBelieves Cup.

Carlos Cordeiro is running to regain his job as U.S. Soccer Federation president, two years after he quit amid a backlash to the group’s lawyers filing legal papers claiming the women’s national team players had less physical ability and responsibility than their male counterparts.

The U.S. women sent Carli Lloyd into retirement with a 6-0 rout of South Korea.

Carli Lloyd scored a career-high five goals and the United States routed Paraguay 9-0 on Thursday in the national team’s first game since the Olympics.

The U.S. Soccer Federation says it has offered identical contract proposals to the players’ associations for the men’s and women’s national teams, and the governing body said it would refuse to agree to a deal in which World Cup prize money is not equalized.

There were enough tennis stars inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art at Monday's Met Gala, it seemed, to play a tournament.

President Joe Biden has honored the 2020 WNBA champions Seattle Storm at the White House.

Hope Solo, the former goalkeeper for the U.S. women's soccer team, said Megan Rapinoe has "almost" bullied teammates into kneeling in the name of activism.

Megan Rapinoe is such a fan of #MeToo pioneer Tarana Burke that the soccer star chose Burke's upcoming memoir, “Unbound,” for her new online book club before she had even read it.

Subway franchisees are in discussions to drop Team USA soccer star Megan Rapinoe from a new ad amid her National Anthem protests at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Sue Bird capped off her unblemished 17-year Olympics run with a record fifth gold medal.

In social media posts, H. Scott Apley repeatedly questioned the need for vaccines and masks, along with ridiculing transgender people, Demi Lovato, Megan Rapinoe, and others.

The reigning World Cup champions were led by Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd, who had two goals each.

Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd each scored a pair of goals and the United States won the bronze medal in women’s soccer at the Tokyo Olympics with a 4-3 victory over Australia.

The Olympics may be the last major soccer tournament for a few of the biggest stars on the U.S. women’s national team like forward Carli Lloyd.

Laurel Hubbard never wanted the attention that fell upon her.

It was a stunning upset in Tokyo. The loss ended the U.S. team's bid for gold.

The quest for gold medals is on track for the U.S. women’s basketball and volleyball teams after finishing at the top of their groups in pool play.

Jessie Fleming scored on a penalty kick in the 74th minute and Canada earned a 1-0 semifinal victory over the United States in the Olympic women’s soccer competition.

They'll face Canada Monday in the semifinals.

United States goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher stopped three penalty kicks as the U.S. gets past Netherlands.

Megan Rapinoe converted the deciding penalty in a shootout and the United States advanced to the semifinals of the women’s Olympic soccer tournament 4-2 following a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands.

Critics are outraged, saying the anti-doping agency for the games is turning a blind eye for the white athlete on the heels of suspending the Black sprinter earlier this month.

The United States made it through to the quarterfinals of the women’s Olympic soccer competition after a 0-0 draw with Australia.

The Americans rebounded from their opening loss to Sweden with a 6-1 rout of New Zealand in front of the First Lady in the women’s soccer tournament at the Tokyo Olympics.

Players on the U.S. women’s national soccer team urged a federal appeals court to reinstate their equal pay lawsuit, saying their greater success than the American men was not taken into account by a trial court judge who dismissed their case.

While it certainly wasn’t the Olympic start the U.S. women’s soccer team had anticipated, a rare loss didn’t skewer the squad’s hopes for gold.

Stina Blackstenius scored a pair of goals and Sweden once again stunned the United States at the Olympics with a 3-0 victory in the women’s soccer tournament.

The U.S. women's national team has become adept at shutting out all the outside distractions at big tournaments and the Tokyo Olympics are no different.

Older Olympians will be proving that age is just a number in Tokyo.

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Team USA CEO Sarah Hirshland about prepping for this year's Olympics in Tokyo and what the event will look like with COVID-19 precautions such as having no spectators.

With the Olympics right around the corner, the final rosters and teams are shaping up, and that includes the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.

Carli Lloyd is headed to her fourth Olympics.

It's a massive image overhaul for the major brand.

This week’s new entertainment releases includes Conan O’Brien closing out his TBS late-night show and the new soccer documentary “LFG,” a revealing look at the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s battle for equal pay.

The Sports Innovation Lab said sponsors switching to a community-based monetization around women's sports could reach over $600 million.

The lingerie and comfort wear company has said goodbye to the models.

Victoria's Secret is swapping its Angels for activists in a major rebrand that seeks to completely redefine the company.

Sam Mewis scored in the 76th minute and the U.S. national team beat Portugal 1-0 in the Summer Series on Thursday night.

"As a woman who has played sports my whole life, I know that the threats to women's and girls' sports are lack of funding, resources and media coverage; sexual harassment; and unequal pay," she said. Rapinoe, who gave congressional testimony and appeared at the White House last week on Equal Pay Day, has long been a vocal advocate for equality. While a federal judge dismissed the team's equal pay lawsuit last year, they've vowed to appeal. Earlier this month, Mississippi outlawed transgender athletes from competing on girls' or women's sports teams. Supporters of the bills argue transgender girls, because they were born male, have physical advantages than those who were born female.

President Joe Biden met with soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe and other members of the U.S. women's national soccer team Wednesday at the White House to mark Equal Pay Day. "Asian American and Pacific Islander women's Equal Pay Day is March 9. Black women's Equal Pay Day isn't until August 3rd. Native American women's Equal Pay Day isn't until September 8th. And Latino women's Equal Pay Day isn't until October 21.

Biden and his wife, Jill, hosted a roundtable with Margaret Purce and Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, and other members of the squad who attended virtually. “Doesn’t matter if you’re an electrician, an accountant or part of the best damn soccer team in the world,” Biden said. The suit was dismissed in May because the women had accepted a different base pay structure than the men's soccer team. The women's team plans to appeal the dismissal. The National Women's Law Center found that Black women earn just 63 cents for a dollar paid to a non-Hispanic white man, while Hispanic women make only 55 cents.

The USSF board of directors voted to repeal the policy last June, a decision the online annual meeting affirmed Saturday by 71.34% voting in favor of repeal. “Every race in the history of mankind has been enslaved by another demographic at some point time." He suggested athletes who wish to take a knee do so on their own individual platforms but not while representing the U.S. on a soccer field. AdMembers of the women's team who had kneeled for the anthem announced last week that they would no longer do so, preferring instead to focus on projects within the team and their communities to fight systemic racism. ___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The United States shut out Canada in the round-robin tournament opener and then downed Brazil 2-0 on Sunday. Rapinoe scored in the 16th minute with a well-timed strike on a through ball from Rose Lavelle for the early lead. It was Lloyd's 124th international goal and it came in her 299th appearance with the national team. It was her 108th international goal, moving her into sole possession of fifth place on the team's career list. The United States improved to 4-0 against Argentina.

"We are now, I think, ready to move past the protesting phase and actually move into putting all of the talk into actual work," USWNT defender Crystal Dunn said.

The United States sits atop the SheBelieves Cup standings with two wins. But not only a goal, the way we played our attack in the first 20 minutes," Brazil coach Pia Sundhage said. It was Press' 10th goal in her last 13 national team games and 59th international goal. Alex Morgan made her first start for the national team since giving birth to daughter Charlie last year. The U.S. beat Canada 1-0 in its SheBelieves Cup opener on Thursday, while Brazil beat rival Argentina 4-1.

Soccer star Megan Rapinoe condemned last week's riot at the U.S. Capitol building, saying it revealed America's "true colors." The co-captain of the women's national soccer team on Tuesday accused President Trump of stirring up a mob that ultimately attacked the Capitol in a riot that left five people dead. Rapinoe said "unleashing a white supremacist mob" is "nothing new" in the U.S. She said the motivations of the mostly White crowd that stormed the Capitol were clear. "Hopefully this the last layer we needed to rip off, although it's been abundantly clear for a number of 100 years what the real issue is: This was about white supremacy and holding up white supremacy," she said. Before and after winning the World Cup in 2019, she voiced her refusal to go to the White House with her championship team.

That's changing now that Rapinoe has returned to the U.S. national team for its January training camp in Florida after sitting out most of last year. The last time Rapinoe played for the national team was on March 11, when she scored in a 3-1 SheBelieves Cup victory over Japan. The national team settled its dispute with the federation over unequal working conditions in December, leaving the pay dispute still unresolved. Rapinoe, 35, has scored 52 goals with 68 assists in 168 appearances with the national team since her first call-up in 2006. She scored on a penalty kick in the United States' victory over the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup final.

Athletes across the country were out in full force Saturday after the Associated Press declared that Joe Biden won the presidential election. Lakers star LeBron James had been particularly outspoken on Twitter in the lead up to the election, but went with humor on Saturday. Yoooo @KingJames y’all can go to the White House and celebrate y’all title G! FOE and more THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! 🇺🇸 ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼 — Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) November 7, 2020Alex Morgan, another part of the U.S. women’s soccer national team, had this photo to share.

ATSUGI Womens World Cup winner Yuki Nagasato is joining Japanese mens club Hayabusa Eleven on loan from the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL. The mens team plays in an amateur regional league that is several levels below the countrys top pro soccer league, the J-League. Nagasato, who won the Womens World Cup with Japan in 2011, joined Chicago in 2017 after playing in several other leagues. It was very inspiring to hear the social message about gender inequality and other messages that Rapinoe was trying to deliver during the (2019) World Cup, Nagasato said. For over a decade shes been telling me that her ultimate dream is to play in a mens team, Genki Nagasato said.

International Women's Day is a chance for brands to show what they're doing to promote equality and arguably raise their profiles and sell more too. #SexResponsibly," on Valentine's Day with ads stating: "Buying someone a drink doesn't buy you a yes," and it aims to continue the conversation ahead of International Women's Day. Time Magazine has published covers of 100 "Women of the Year" for International Women's Day 2020. Reebok, owned by Adidas, just dropped its 2020 "It's a Man's World" collection ahead of International Women's Day. "Scandal" creator Shonda Rhimes and star Kerry Washington pose as part of a campaign by non-profit Care for International Women's Day.

Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team married in Miami on Saturday, the team confirmed on Twitter. Harris, 34, and Krieger, 35, officially exchanged vows in a ceremony with family friends and plenty of their teammates posting pictures on social media. Harris, a goalie, and Krieger, a defender, were part of the team that won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. "We became really close friends, and we just hung out, we clicked, and we had so much in common," Harris told People in March. "You're always fearful of that you never know how people are going to react, and you might lose fans, or lose respect," Harris said.

Biles is the 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)They’re called “Simone Things,” a catchall phrase for the casual ease with which Simone Biles seems to soar through her sport and her life. The greatest gymnast of all time and 2019 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year only makes it seem that way. She is the first gymnast to be named AP Female Athlete of the Year twice and the first to do it in a non-Olympic year. Biles edged U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe in a vote by AP member sports editors and AP beat writers.

U.S. Women's Soccer star Megan Rapinoe on Friday announced her endorsement of Senator Elizabeth Warren for president. It's big, it's bold," Rapinoe tells Warren in the video via phone. Warren replies: "We really believe in equity, we believe in racial equity, we believe in gender equity, we believe in everybody gets a chance in this country. Warren congratulated Rapinoe on the honor, saying she leads her team on the field, and "(leads) America off the field." After officially endorsing Warren, Rapinoe informed the presidential candidate of a "little saying."

U.S. Women's Soccer star Megan Rapinoe on Friday announced her endorsement of Senator Elizabeth Warren for president. It's big, it's bold," Rapinoe tells Warren in the video via phone. Warren replies: "We really believe in equity, we believe in racial equity, we believe in gender equity, we believe in everybody gets a chance in this country. Warren congratulated Rapinoe on the honor, saying she leads her team on the field, and "(leads) America off the field." After officially endorsing Warren, Rapinoe informed the presidential candidate of a "little saying."

The US Women's National Team's lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation was filed in March in US District Court in California, with 28 members of the team listed as plaintiffs. Friday's class certification decision allows for members of the USWNT to sue the federation collectively -- including any player who reported for national team duty over a specific period of time cited in the lawsuit. When contacted for reaction, a federation spokesperson said, "U.S. Soccer does not have any specific comment." The federation said US Soccer pays USWNT contracted players a salary to play in the National Women's Soccer League, while the men are paid by their individual teams. "The women's national team players deserve equal pay and are right to pursue a legal remedy from the courts or Congress," the men's team said.

NEW YORK, NY – Election Day is over, but Michelle Obama is still trying to get out the vote. Obama is already a co-chair, along with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Faith Hill, Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, and basketball star Chris Paul. When We Vote, a nonprofit, describes itself as a nonpartisan group dedicated to increasing voter participation. The announcement Thursday marks a year until the 2020 elections, which includes the presidential race. ___This story has been corrected to delete incorrect reference that the 2020 general elections are happening a year to the date of Thursday.

Brandi Chastain and Michelle Akers take part in new CTE studyThe new study looks at head trauma in high school sports. Girls' soccer was second, at a rate of eight per 10,000. In the 20 sports studied, girls had more than twice the rate of concussions compared to boys. There are some theories for the disparity in concussions between boys and girls. So maybe concussions in boys are actually more frequent than we realize.

That is the daunting challenge facing Vlatko Andonovski after the 43-year-old was appointed as the new head coach of the United States Women's National soccer team. "It is important for this team to win every game and not just every game but to win big tournaments as well. The standard of the women's game has improved significantly, with more competitive and professional leagues in Europe bolstering the number of star players across the globe. More than just a gameThrough their success on the field, a number of USWNT players have chosen to voice their political and social ideals. "I respect their position," Andonovski said of the USWNT players' fight for social justice.

Megan Rapinoe accepts the Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year award during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro alla Scala on Sept. 23, 2019, in Milan, Italy. USWNT star Megan Rapinoe praised Raheem Sterling for his continuing fight against racism and urged a host of leading footballers and coaches to use their platform as worldwide stars to "change the world for better" after being named The Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year on Monday. However, Rapinoe said that it shouldn't be just down to those individuals to fight alone. I feel like that's my ask of everybody, we have such an incredible opportunity being professional football players. Award winnersElsewhere, Lionel Messi edged out Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk to be crowned The Best FIFA Men's Player, while Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and USWNT boss Jill Ellis were crowned The Best FIFA Coaches.

Megan Rapinoe #15 of the United States the United States international friendly match against Ireland at the Rose Bowl on August 3, 2019 in Pasadena, California. The United States won the match 3-0. In the midst of a five-game victory tour following their World Cup win, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) is also preparing for the 2020 Olympics and engaged in a heated legal battle with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) for equal pay. Now, representatives for the team say they have left a mediation process meant to avoid an appearance in federal court. The United States won the match 3-0.

Mediation talks between the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team have broken down after their first day of discussions, according to a representative from the women's team. Immediately after the women's team beat the Netherlands on July 7, fans started calling for another victory: Giving the women equal pay. Equal pay!" Players from the USA celebrate following their victory in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final on July 7, 2019. But according to the federation's own financial reports, the women's team generated more total revenue than the men's in the three years after the women's 2015 World Cup victory.

Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe celebrate during a victory ticker-tape parade for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team on July 10, 2019, in the Manhattan borough of New York City. (CNN) - The US women's soccer team, still World Champions and emerging advocates for women's rights, returned to center stage with flair Saturday night. On the field, the Americans dispatched Ireland 3-0 in a friendly at the Rose Bowl, their first match since winning the World Cup last month in France. Off the pitch this weekend, the US Women's National Team Players Association announced a partnership with Time's Up activists to raise funds to help fight for pay equity in various industries. "I think it's part of what this team is about, what these players are about," coach Jill Ellis said after the game.

However, it also confirmed that amount will rise to $440 million for the next men's World Cup, in Qatar in 2022. Ahead of the Women's World Cup final in July, Infantino proposed doubling the total prize money to $60 million in 2023. It means that dozens more member associations can organize their women's soccer programs and funding, knowing they have a realistic chance of qualifying. The United States National Soccer Team Players Association, the labor organization for members of the men's national team, showed its dissatisfaction with the details of Cordeiro's letter. The pay dispute erupted in March, four months before the team went on to retain the FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

(CNN) - Soccer goddess Megan Rapinoe led the US women's team to victory in this year's World Cup. Penguin Press announced Thursday that it will publish a book by the co-captain of the US Women's National Team in fall 2020. "I hope this book will inspire people to find what they can do, and in turn inspire other people around them to do the same," Rapinoe told The New York Times. Off the field, Rapinoe has become an advocate for gender equality and equal pay. In a speech at the team's victory parade in New York this month, she urged people to do better.

Carli Lloyd of the USA lifts the FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy following victory over the Netherlands in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Final on July 7, 2019, in Lyon, France. (CNN) - The success of Team USA at the Women's World Cup in France is translating to more fans at soccer fields across America. It remains to be seen if these high attendance numbers will last as the season goes on. If you're feeling withdrawal from not seeing your favorite Team USA players crush it on the world's stage, look no further than the NWSL. Stop by Orlando to see Team USA co-captain Alex Morgan in action.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amid confetti and chants of equal pay, New York honored the U.S. womens soccer team on Wednesday with a ticker-tape parade up the Canyon of Heroes, celebrating its World Cup triumph and hailing the players emergence as icons of womens rights. Olivia Ciampi, 15, of Queens, New York, who joined the festivities with her mother, agreed equal pay for the team was long overdue. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Patty Murray, both Democrats, introduced a bill requiring equal pay and compensation for all U.S. national athletes. America cheered as the womens soccer team won an historic fourth World Cup, but our support shouldnt end with ticker-tape parades, Feinstein said in a statement. In recent decades, the honor has been reserved for championship teams, including the New York Yankees and New York Giants.

Haven't had enough of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team? Related Headlines:US wins Women's World Cup thanks to Rapinoe, Lavelle goalsWhy is U.S. so good in women's soccer, but not in men's? If you've caught the women's soccer buzz, you'll be happy to hear the national team is playing at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena against Ireland in early August. This entire week will be full of celebrating the World Cup, but rest assured, this team will be training again for this match and the upcoming 2020 Olympics. It won't be long until Rapinoe, Morgan and the rest of the best soccer team around the world are dazzling us again.

Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher held the World Cup trophy aloft. It will get $4 million for winning the World Cup from FIFA, the international soccer governing body. The federation will give the women bonuses about five times smaller than what the men would have earned for winning the World Cup. The team had already started celebrating its record fourth Women's World Cup title. Rapinoe told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that Trump had yet to invite the women's soccer team to the White House.

The World Cup-winning U.S. Women's National Team will be celebrated by New York City with a victory parade on Wednesday. The ticker tape parade up the Canyon of Heroes, the site of Olympic team celebrations and other championship parades, will commemorate the team's fourth World Cup title since 1991. On Sunday, the U.S. beat the Netherlands 2-0 to win their second consecutive World Cup. U.S. wins 2019 Women's World Cup with 2-0 victory over NetherlandsHow to watch the U.S. women's soccer team paradeWhat: U.S. Women's National Team World Cup victory ticker tape paradeU.S. Women's National Team World Cup victory ticker tape parade Date: Wednesday, July 10, 2019Wednesday, July 10, 2019 Time: 9:30 a.m. 2 p.m. Members of the 1924 U.S. Olympic team were the first athletes honored with such a parade, and the 2015 U.S. Women's National Team was the last group of athletes honored by the city for their World Cup win.

LYON, France (Reuters) - Forward Lieke Martens was named in the starting lineup for the Netherlands in their womens World Cup final on Sunday against holders the United States, who recalled winger Megan Rapinoe into the first team after she sat out the semi-final. Rapinoe, who has scored five goals in helping the U.S. to reach their fifth World Cup final, missed the 2-1 win over England because of a slight hamstring strain. Samantha Mewis starts alongside her in place of Lindsey Horan who is dropped to the bench. However, she made the cut to feature in the European champions first ever World Cup final, supporting all-time Dutch goalscorer Vivianne Miedema up front. The U.S. are aiming to win a record-extending fourth world title out of eight editions.

One match remains to crown the 2019 Women's World Cup champion. How to watch the USA vs. Netherlands World Cup finalWhat: 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final Teams: United States vs. NetherlandsUnited States vs. Netherlands Date: Sunday, July 6, 2019Sunday, July 6, 2019 Time: 11 a.m. It is only the second time the Netherlands have qualified for the Women's World Cup. 2019 Women's World Cup tournament bracketThe single elimination knockout stage of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup began on June 22 with 16 teams. 1 in the world, have now appeared in five of the eight championship matches in Women's World Cup history.

Immediately after the U.S. Women's National Team won the 2019 World Cup on Sunday, fans started calling for another victory: Giving the women equal pay. Equal pay!" As of Sunday, the U.S. women's team has won four World Cups more than any women's soccer team in the world. The prize pot for the women's team this year was $30 million compared to $400 million for last year's Men's World Cup. The women's team and U.S. Soccer tentatively agreed in June to mediate the lawsuit once the World Cup was over.

Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC) of United States during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Round Of 16 match between Spain and USA at Stade Auguste Delaune on June 24, 2019 in Reims, France. The U.S. has the chance take home the FIFA Women's Soccer World Cup on Sunday for a fourth time, but on the evidence of the 2019 tournament its era of dominance may struggle to be extended. In fact, the U.S. was the only team outside of Europe to make it into the last eight of the Women's World Cup. "We (European soccer nations) are closing the gap with the USA," Georgie Hodge, head of women's soccer at Base Soccer Agency told CNBC. Elsewhere in Europe, Spanish giants Real Madrid last month announced plans to launch its own women's team, following in the footsteps of rivals Barcelona, which has had its own women's team for nearly two decades.

Today, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) is set to compete against Netherlands in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final. This World Cup, 24 teams competed in France for their share of $30 million in prize money from FIFA which is just 7.5% of the Men's World Cup prize of $400 million in 2018. According to documents obtained by The Guardian, the USWNT's contract guarantees a player will receive $3,000 for each qualification game they win (since they won all five that's a total of $15,000); a $37,500 bonus for qualifying for the World Cup; $37,500 for making the final US World Cup roster; and $110,000 if they win the whole World Cup a potential grand total of $200,000 each. Had the team won all of their 16 qualifying games, made the final World Cup roster and won the World Cup, USMNT players would have been paid a total of over $1.1 million each. Wendie Renard #3 of France celebrates her goal during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France group A match between Nigeria and France at Roazhon Park on June 17, 2019 in Rennes, France.

It was the 6-foot-2 defender's fourth World Cup goal and gave the home crowd at the sellout Parc des Princes hope. A day before the match, Rapinoe said she stood by her comments , except the coarse language. Coach Jill Ellis said Rapinoe's night was typical of the outspoken 33-year-old playing in her third World Cup. Les Bleues also reached the quarterfinals at the 2015 World Cup in Canada but fell to Germany on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The United States already has three World Cup trophies, most of any nation.

U.S. women's soccer team star Megan Rapinoe on Thursday doubled down on comments that she would not be going to the White House if her team wins the World Cup. "I stand by the comments that I made about not wanting to go to the White House, with the exception of the expletive," she said at a news conference Thursday. Teammate Ali Krieger tweeted in support of Rapinoe, saying that she, too, would skip a White House visit. I dont support this administration nor their fight against LGBTQ+ citizens, immigrants & our most vulnerable. Ali Krieger (@alikrieger) June 26, 2019Alex Morgan told Time Magazine last month that she would not visit the White House if the U.S. team was invited.

Defending champions the United States face hosts France in the quarter-finals on Friday. Psssh, Im not going to the fucking White House, Rapinoe said in response to a question by a reporter from soccer magazine Eight by Eight when asked if she was excited about a potential White House invite. Im not going to the White House. Womens soccer player, @mPinoe, just stated that she is not going to the F...ing White House if we win, he said. Love & Solidarity.Slideshow (3 Images)Trump canceled a White House invitation to Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles last year in the wake of the Kaepernick protests.

Megan Rapinoe of USA during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Round Of 16 match between Spain and USA at Stade Auguste Delaune on June 24, 2019 in Reims, France. President Donald Trump escalated a war of words with U.S. women's World Cup soccer star Megan Rapinoe on Wednesday, saying "Megan should WIN first before she TALKS," referring to Rapinoe's expletive-fueled refusal to even consider visiting the White House. But he also said he is inviting the entire U.S. team to the White House, "win or lose." Trump's tweets came a day after a video clip was posted of Rapinoe saying, with a scoff, "I'm not going to the f------ White House." Her team is set to play the host France in Paris in the World Cup quarterfinals on Friday.