“They Can Fire Me”- Fighting For Equal Pay In NWSL, Ali Krieger Makes a Private Revelation

The US Soccer Federation solved the puzzle of ‘Equal Pay’ in 2022. This meant both the men and the women would be paid the same for representing the country. Just like Megan Rapinoe, USWNT star Ali Krieger was also a long-time advocate of implementing equal pay in the NWSL and the MLS. And the 2x World Cup winner has revealed how she had the ‘upper hand‘ in the fight to end pay disparity.

On the Tamron Ball Show, the 108 caps US international spoke regarding the risks & rewards of campaigning for equal pay. She said, “I guess they can fire me at any moment, right? But you know this was really important for us. We knew we had an upper hand because we were stronger in numbers and we were stronger together and then we were also winning. We’re winning World Cups, we are winning Olympics and we knew we had to do that in order for them to listen”.

Despite the disappointment of the 2023 World Cup, the USWNT has been the most successful side in the tournament history with 4 wins. Likewise, in the Olympics with 4 gold medals. Hence, it seems Krieger wants to leverage the on-pitch success to campaign for issues outside of it. She added, “On top of the pressure of just being a female athlete and a professional athlete to just play at that high level consistently over years, we also had to come together and be like we have to multitask really well because we have to fight for us and for what we deserve.”

Like Krieger, US soccer icons like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe were also staunch advocates for equal pay. However, unlike the USWNT, the fight to end the pay disparity in the NWSL and MLS will be more challenging.

The case against equal pay in the NWSL

For 2023, the average attendance across the season for the NWSL was 10,432. A 30% increase from the previous season. But, still half of the average attendance of the MLS with 21,033. This means lesser revenue. Also, there is a salary cap of $2.75 million for NWSL teams in 2024. This ought to pay the salary of nearly 26 women players. On the other hand, the likes of Lionel Messi earn a base salary of $12 million with other significant bonuses. Hence, it is understandable why implementing equal pay is not as easy compared to the national team.

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One way by which the NWSL can catch up with the MLS in popularity is by moving to the prime-time schedule. Many NWSL matches air between 10 & 11 am, which is not very popular among the viewers. MLS matches, on the other hand, are broadcast between 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm. Therefore, unless the NWSL finds a way to generate more cash, pay parity will be hard to achieve.

What is your opinion regarding equal pay in sports? Tell us in the comments below.

Read More: Ali Krieger Labels Historic NWSL Triumph a Distraction – “I Was Putting Everything On The Back Burner”