Megan Rapinoe & The US Women's Soccer Team Just Scored A 'Monumental Win' For Equal Pay

It's 2022 and U.S. soccer stars are finally going to get equal pay, regardless of their gender.

Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and others on the U.S. women's soccer team are celebrating a major win for the future of their sport, although this one didn't happen on the pitch.

Several players on the U.S. women's national team (USNWT) reached a $24 million settlement regarding their class action equal pay lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation on Tuesday. The deal will see them paid the same as men for winning major tournaments, and that means they'll be splitting those millions as back pay.

The players reached a deal after accusing the USSF of "institutionalized gender discrimination," in a six-year fight that was finally settled this week.

The landmark settlement, which was announced on Tuesday by the two sides, states that U.S. Soccer will pay both men and women an equal rate in all future tournaments, including the World Cup, reported NBC News.

Rapinoe, who has been one of the faces of the lawsuit against the USSF, took to Twitter to celebrate.

"When we win, everyone wins!" she wrote.

Some of her followers responded.

"Thank you for fighting for all of us," said user @BuddhaFrog08.

"A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to you and USWNT," commented @GinaHaruki.

"For us, this is just a huge win in ensuring that we not only right the wrongs of the past but set the next generation up for something that we could only have dreamed of," said Rapinoe on NBC's TODAY Show.

"In the end, it came together. The only justice now is ensuring that this never happens again, and this lawsuit is a massive step forward."

She also described it as a "monumental win" for women's soccer.

According to ESPN, the players will receive a payment of $22 million, and it will be distributed "in a manner proposed by the USWNT players." The remaining $2 million is being put toward a fund "to benefit the USWNT players in their post-career goals and charitable efforts related to women's and girls' soccer." Each player can apply for up to $50,000 from the fund.

"It's so gratifying to feel like we can start to mend a relationship with U.S. Soccer that has been severed for so many years because of the discrimination that we faced," USWNT forward Alex Morgan told the Associated Press.

"To finally get to this moment feels like we can almost sigh a breath of relief."

The U.S. women's soccer team has won four of the eight World Cups held since the inaugural women's tournament in 1991. The men's team has never won a World Cup; their best result was in 1930 when they came in third place.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.