Are the U.S. women's soccer team players paid less? The gender pay gap explained | The Fact Checker

In the world of women’s soccer, the team to beat is the United States. The Women’s National Team (USWNT) is ranked No. 1 in the world. They just won their fourth World Cup on Sunday. Fans give them the rock-star treatment. The president argues with them on Twitter. And they’re unquestionably more successful on the world stage than the Men’s National Team (USMNT).

But according to a class action lawsuit the team filed, the players are not treated as equals to the men’s national team. All 28 female players sued the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) — their employer — in U.S. District Court in March, alleging they are paid less than the men and are provided with less support, despite their consistent outstanding performance.

Can the women’s team claim credit for bringing in more revenue? Are the women players paid less than the men?

The Fact Checker obtained documents that weren't previously publicly available and publicly available financial statements to unravel what's going on here. Read moreSubscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube