US men’s soccer players set to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games will not receive pay. The team, which qualified for the games for the first time since 2008, is set to begin the tournament next month. The Americans have been placed in Group A of the competition with hosts France. Along with coach Thierry Henry’s team, the Stars and Stripes will also face Guinea and New Zealand.
The reasoning behind the unfortunate news ultimately stems from a previous collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Back in 2022, U.S. Soccer struck a deal with unions from the men’s and women’s national teams. In the agreement, the governing body guaranteed that players on both sides would receive the same prize money while playing in major tournaments. This includes the World Cup, but also other competitions such as the Copa America and the Gold Cup.
Nevertheless, there is a fairly significant loophole in the deal. According to reporter Brian Sciaretta, the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team will not be paid, while the USWNT will. This ultimately comes down to the structure of the aforementioned collective bargaining agreement.
The previous deal essentially only pertains to full senior national teams and does not include U23 teams. The men’s Olympic team is a U-23 side. Each men’s team competing in the upcoming tournament must only have a maximum of three players over the age of 23. Veteran defender Walker Zimmerman was the only senior star to feature in manager Marko Mitrovic’s side.
On the other side, the American women’s soccer squad is the full USWNT. The women’s players to play in the competition receive their full bonuses. These wages include a $10,000 payment to each player for featuring in a match. Women’s stars will also earn $12,000 for every victory at the tournament. Assuming they can collect the gold, every USWNT player would then also receive $36,000.
While U.S. Soccer labeled the men’s team as amateurs. The entire roster features full-time professionals. The 25-man roster is essentially split between domestic Major League Soccer teams and clubs from abroad. Along with Zimmerman, who featured heavily for the United States at the 2022 World Cup, 18 American men’s Olympic players have earned a full USMNT cap.
The collective bargaining agreement was a landmark deal and a historic moment in U.S. Soccer. Women’s players deserve payment to the full amount like the men’s squad. The loophole in the deal, however, is undoubtedly unfortunate for this men’s team.
Previous calls for equal work, equal pay are not ringing true in these particular Summer Olympics. Both the men’s and women’s competitions in France are essentially the same. Both sides are also working for the same goal of an Olympic gold medal. Nevertheless, only one of the teams will earn pay for their work on the pitch.
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