The U.S. women’s national team is one step closer to wrapping up its historic equal pay lawsuit.
In February, the sides reached a settlement that, if ratified, would award the women $24 million.
But in order to close the case, a judge had to approve that settlement. That happened on Thursday, according to spokesperson Molly Levinson, who tweeted that the judge had granted preliminary approval.
The final ratification will come in a December hearing, Levinson said.
Women’s players won’t have to wait until the winter for fair payouts, however. The settlement precipitated a collective bargaining agreement signed in May, which awarded true equal pay.
- Now, women’s players can expect equal pay for participating in national team competitions.
- The men’s and women’s teams have also agreed to share prize money equally for World Cup berths — a significant decision given that FIFA awards men’s teams more than women’s.
“We look forward to celebrating this hard fought victory for women and girls,” Levinson said.
