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The USMNT will split its World Cup prize money with the USWNT.
The World Cup run for the US Men’s National Team came to an end in the Round of 16 against Belgium. While the finish was somewhat disappointing, it still comes with a hefty payout.
A reported $16 million in prize money was earned. That money will be split up between the men’s and women’s teams, as well as the governing body.
Controversy surrounds that agreement. There are critics on both sides of the argument. The men’s tournament is more lucrative. The women’s team is more successful.
When all is said and done, the USMNT could be the biggest winner.
US Men split World Cup prize money with women’s team.
Following years of advocacy and a class action lawsuit by USWNT players, the USMNT and USWNT equally share World Cup prize money 💰
Read more on how the landmark CBA ratified in 2022 works here: https://t.co/IdocHB3f3s pic.twitter.com/tE8Iw0wc8o
— espnW (@espnW) July 8, 2026
By advancing through group play and into the Round of 16, the men’s team secured $16 million in winnings. Of that, 20% will go to US Soccer. The remaining 80% is divvied up between the men and women.
The current CBA calls for that money to be split evenly. That means both teams will receive an estimated $6.4 million for the World Cup finish.
Is it fair? That debate is currently raging on social media.
Prize money discrepancies are the main topic of conversation. In the past, the Men’s World Cup winnings have far exceeded those of the women’s tournament.
Case in point: This year’s $16 million payout is four times what the women earned after winning the World Cup in 2019. Meanwhile, a Round of 16 finish for the women in 2023, the most recent event, banked $1.87 million.
With that in mind, it seems like a loss for the men. They’d earn far more if the earnings weren’t split. Things could be changing in the near future, though.
FIFA pushes for equal pay.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in 2023 that the goal was to have the women’s payout equal the Men’s World Cup prize money.
“Our ambition is to have equality in payments for the 2026 Men’s and 2027 Women’s World Cup. This is the objective that we set to ourselves. FIFA is stepping up with actions, not just with words…
“Broadcasters and sponsors have to do more. FIFA is receiving between 10- and 100-times inferior offers for the Women’s World Cup. These same public broadcasters, who are paid by taxpayers’ money, they criticize FIFA for not guaranteeing equal pay to men and women. You pay us 100 times less, whereby your viewing figures are very similar.”
-Gianni Infantino
The current US Soccer CBA has been in place since 2022. It runs through 2028. Going off the 20/40/40 split, the team payouts for each tournament can be found below.
- 2022 Men’s World Cup – $5.2 million (total of $13 million)
- 2026 Men’s World Cup – $6.4 million (total of $16 million)
- 2023 Women’s World Cup – $748,000 (total of $1.87 million)
The combined men’s payouts equal $11.6 million for each team compared to the lone women’s prize of less than $750K. With Infantino’s comments in mind, however, the 2027 Women’s World Cup prize money should skyrocket.
How much can the US Women’s team earn in 2027?
Last event’s prize total increased by 300%. A call for more has followed.
If FIFA succeeds in its push for equal pay, the 2027 Women’s World Cup will be on pace with the 2026 Men’s event. A similar payout structure would be expected.
The US Women are one of the favorites to win the tournament. Most early projections suggest they’re one of the top three teams. They rank second in the latest FIFA World Rankings.
Going off the numbers from the 2026 event, a top finish would, in theory, pay as follows:
- 1st place – $50 million
- 2nd place – $33 million
- 3rd place – $29 million
- 4th place – $27 million
Again, going off a 20/40/40 split, each team would bank $20 million off a Women’s World Cup championship. Even fourth place would pay just shy of $11 million.
It would put the totals for each side around even across the four most recent tournaments. It might even push the women out front – which would benefit the men.
Of course, there is a lot left to see before any of these numbers come into play. First and foremost, the US Women need to qualify.
Secondly, there needs to be confirmation that the prize money will be equal. As of the time of this writing, FIFA has not revealed its payout structure for 2027.
Thirdly, the women will need to advance far enough to secure a major payday. They do own four World Cup championships, twice as many as the next closest nation. The men’s team might be their biggest supporter in a quest for a fifth title.