• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 5, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

After Skipping Last World Cup Over Equity Issues, Ada Hegerberg Returns

  • Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg will represent Norway in the World Cup for the first time since 2015.
  • Hegerberg staged a protest against unequal treatment of Norwegian players, sitting out the 2019 World Cup.
Norwegian Football Association

One of the biggest pioneers for equal pay in global soccer — and equitable treatment for female athletes — will return to the global stage for the first time since 2015. 

Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg will represent her nation in the 2023 Women’s World Cup’s inaugural group-stage match against New Zealand on Thursday morning.

The U.S. team receives most of the attention for its equal pay fight, but Hegerberg almost single-handedly forced the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) to become the first national soccer governing body in the world to agree to equal pay — five years before U.S. Soccer inked its own agreement.

For years, the 28-year-old reportedly tried behind the scenes to improve equity between the men’s and women’s teams. In the summer of 2017, she launched a protest against unequal treatment of players at the hands of the NFF, refusing to don the Norwegian kit and playing only for her club team, French side Lyon. 

Unlike the players who stood in lockstep to fight U.S. Soccer for equal pay, Hegerberg was the sole protestor on the team. The NFF itself released statements against her, saying that she had blindsided the team — accusations she disputed in a 2020 ESPN article.

“I was very alone in my decision, back in 2017, and that’s not something I say out of pity for myself; it’s just the way it was back then,” Hegerberg said upon arriving at this year’s World Cup. 

Eventually, the federation backed down. In October 2017, the NFF announced it would agree to pay both its men’s and women’s players equally. Perhaps a blueprint for the U.S. contract, the Norwegian men’s team agreed to relinquish some of its earnings to help fund women’s salaries — a necessity given that FIFA doesn’t offer equal prize money for the men’s and women’s World Cups. The agreement was signed that December.

“It is very positive that Norway is a pioneer,” NFF Secretary General Pal Bjerketvedt said then. “At the same time, this is a recognition for women’s football in general, and it’s amazing to see how much this means to the players and what enormous attention the issue has gained internationally.”

But Hegerberg wasn’t satisfied. When she originally left the Norwegian team, she gave the federation a list of demands that went far beyond equal pay, covering everything from practice facilities and trainers to equipment. Those demands didn’t appear to be met, so Hegerberg decided to sit out the 2019 World Cup. The team made it to the quarterfinals, but certainly could have used Hegerberg — by then a global soccer star.

“We’re not even talking about equal pay here,” Hegerberg said. “We’re talking about minimum conditions in order to feel that you’re being taken seriously and so you can actually perform at the level you want and need to be at.”

Her decision was a major personal sacrifice given that she was at the top of her game — just a year earlier, she had become the first women’s player to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or. But for Hegerberg, it was about more than football. After all, even her acceptance of the award was interrupted by blatant misogyny.

Even amid the U.S. equal pay fight, and as other teams began to speak up about equity, Hegerberg’s protest was controversial. One U.S. national team member reportedly criticized Hegerberg’s decision to sit out, saying her demands for a post-equal pay contract weren’t “specific” enough.

But that didn’t stop Hegerberg from standing up for better treatment. She reenters the World Cup as one of the biggest advocates for equity in women’s soccer across the globe.

“I don’t think things will change without women standing up,” Hegerberg said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Valkyries

Valkyries Are Only Latest WNBA Team To Be Displaced in Playoffs

Several important playoff series have been moved over the years.

State of Connecticut Submits Bid for Minority Ownership of Sun 

The bid would value the Connecticut Sun above $250 million.
Aug 22, 2025; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; Chicago Stars FC forward Jameese Joseph (8) passes the ball during the first half of a match against the North Carolina Courage at SeatGeek Stadium.

Chicago Stars FC Move to Evanston After 12 Years in Bridgeview

Stadium plans beyond the 2026 season aren’t solidified. 

Featured Today

Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
September 3, 2025

No American Men in US Open Semifinals After 2024 Breakthrough

Two American men played in the semifinals last year.
exclusive
September 3, 2025

Angel Reese Faces Uncertain Future In Chicago After Publicly Torching Teammates 

Some sources say Reese’s future in Chicago may not be reparable.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
September 1, 2025

Gareth Bale: MLS Quality Hurt By Low Salaries

Bale said MLS salaries aren’t competitive enough to lure stars from Europe.
Aug 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Son Heung-min poses during an LAFC introductory press conference at BMO Stadium
August 31, 2025

Son Heung-Min Effect Will Hit Big for MLS and L.A.

With a record signing, the South Korean supernova has landed at LAFC.
Candace Parker
August 29, 2025

Candace Parker Not a WNBA Owner Yet, but Her Business Is Booming

Her WNBA peers say she made the blueprint for earning off the court.
August 29, 2025

Cowboys’ Parsons Approach Shows High Cost of Delayed Contracts

Parsons will sign a four-year, $188 million deal with the Packers.