The USMNT (United States Men's National Team) was knocked out of the 2026 World Cup after their round-of-16 loss to Belgium this past Monday, but that didn’t stop them from earning a cool $16 million in FIFA prize money.
20 percent of that will go to U.S. Soccer, and the rest to the players.
And while that might have served as a silver lining after fizzling out of the tournament, the men's team will have to accept the fact that the 80 percent ($12.8 million) will actually be split with the USWNT (United States Women's National Team).
Under the U.S. Soccer Federation’s 2022 equal pay collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the men’s payout will be pooled with whatever the women earn in the 2027 tournament and split between the two teams after the federation takes its cut.
🚨JUST IN: The US men’s team earned $16 million in prize money at the World Cup. The money will be split evenly with the women who make the 2027 women's World Cup roster
— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) July 8, 2026
US men's and women's players equally share World Cup prize money under the terms of the collective bargaining… pic.twitter.com/mADK5oeXXC
Buzz Cut: The World Cup 2026: Proven - Capitalism Delivers What Socialism Cannot
The whole setup stems from the big equal-pay push led by the U.S. women’s team. Back in 2019, several women’s players sued U.S. Soccer for gender discrimination. That eventually led to a 2022 settlement and brand-new collective bargaining agreements for both the men’s and women’s teams.
On the pitch, the USWNT has won four World Cups, while the men haven’t made it past the round of 16 since 2002. But performance doesn't equal revenue or payout.
The pay gap was obvious in the last cycle. The USMNT pocketed $13 million for reaching the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, while the USWNT earned just $1.87 million for reaching the same stage at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Spain, the 2023 Cup winners, earned just $4.29 million in FIFA prize money as champions.
Belgium players did the “Trump Dance” in the locker room after eliminating USA from the World Cup
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) July 7, 2026
DIABOLICAL 😭 pic.twitter.com/uiNCKOcA8S
The men’s national team generally generates significantly more revenue for U.S. Soccer than the women’s team, which is the core reason the pay debate has been so contentious.
The USWNT could make the World Cup final or even win it all and still bring in less ticket, broadcast, or merchandise revenue than a men's team that only makes it to the Round of 16.
Thanks to the CBA, the men’s larger paydays from higher revenue are helping to boost the women’s compensation. As my RedState colleague Nick Arama wrote following the women's devastating loss to Sweden in 2023, "FIFA pays out more for the men’s performance," which "means splitting equally means the men lose money, even though they’re the ones who are making more of it."
Yet everyone in the woke sports world felt this made things "equal."
As Inigo Montoya might say: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
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