Thirty million dollars, that’s what the German National Soccer team made last year for winning the World Cup. The World Cup is one of the most prestigious accomplishments in any sport. The players in the World Cup are some of the hardest working, highest paid athletes in the world. These players are paid tremendous amounts of money by their club, their country, and FIFA. However this is not the only World Cup, on a different four year rotation is the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The women in the World Cup are treated as inferior because of their gender in terms of payment, respect and also treated poorly by their own governing body.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup started in 1991 as a twelve-team tournament. It has since expanded to a 24-team tournament that features tremendous athletic ability and intense competition. The United States has won the Women’s World Cup three times, more than any other country, and is currently recognized by FIFA as the best team in the world.
The Federation International de Football Association, FIFA, or in English the International Federation of Association Football, is the governing body of soccer and soccer related games, such as futsal and beach soccer. FIFA is a non-profit organization with the responsibility of governing the game of soccer by making the laws of the game, overseeing club and national completion, and organizing championships. FIFA is also in charge of both the men and women’s world cups. For the men FIFA perform these duties
In 1996, the US women's soccer team won the Olympic gold medal and, in the summer of 1999, they faced down the best international competition in the World Cup beating China in the World championship game to win the grueling, month-long tournament.
1). Soon, after the creation of FIFA, they held the first FIFA congress on the 22nd of May, 1904, which had a team of representatives who signed the foundation act of FIFA document. The teams who signed the document are as the following: Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA), Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports (UBSSA), Dansk Boldspil Union (DBU), Nederlandsche Voetbal Bond (NVB), Madrid Football Club Svenska Bollspells Förbundet (SBF), Association Suisse de Football (ASF) (CFH, pars. 1).
The US women’s soccer team are only paid about a fourth of what the men are paid, even though they actually preform at a level well above that of the men’s, and create more income for the corporation; In fact, the women’s soccer team made approximately $20 million more money in revenue than the men’s soccer team ("U.S. Women's Team Files Wage-discrimination Action vs. U.S. Soccer"). Another instance of the men’s team earning more money than the women’s team unfairly is that the women were only paid $2 million dollars total when they won the world cup in 2015, while the men’s team (who got to round 16 before they lost) were paid a total of $9 million dollars ("U.S. Women's Team Files Wage-discrimination Action vs. U.S. Soccer"). That means that the women’s team was paid approximately 22% of what the men’s team was being paid, creating a wage gap that is even larger than what the one from the 1960’s. If you go by the logic of paying someone based on the worker’s effort and skill, as it is stated in the Equal Pay Act, than the women’s team should be paid significantly more than the men’s team, not the other way
Hope Solo, a goalie for the United States Women’s National Team, as well as the Seattle Reign FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper the women’s game has ever seen. With over 100 career shutouts on the international level, and numerous individual and team awards including two FIFA Golden Glove awards and a World Cup, it’s hard to deny her prowess. Solo has been on the national stage for over a decade now, and while heralded as a world class player, her career has been fraught with controversy. Solo: A Memoir of Hope was published in August 2012 and provides a unique look into the major events in Hope Solo’s life through her own eyes.
The U.S. Woman’s National Team has won more titles in recent years than the U.S. Men’s National Team. Over the past 28 years, only seven World Cup tournaments have occurred. Out of the seven, the USWNT have won three (Reiher). The men, on the other hand, have only had one quarterfinal appearance in the past 30 years, which occurred
Women sports have come a long way, since the days when women were only allowed
In every country, soccer stars are celebrated, they are young children’s’ heroes, and they inspire nations. Soccer is played in small villages in Africa, suburbs in America, and the arctic tundra of Russia, it can be played anytime, anywhere. It is the only sport that serves as a universal language, citizens in every country know the basics of soccer. Anyone, of any age, can play. It serves as a common connection for humanity and the players set examples for most of the world. If women are not being paid equally on the only platform that has the ability to reach the entire planet, it is no wonder that so many countries do not believe in women’s rights. However, if they were paid the same as men, they would be setting an example for the entire world. Many countries would begin to better understand that women are equal. After all, so many of life’s lessons are taught to children through games, especially games like soccer. This sport is a very rare, if not the only, opportunity to teach the entire world that women are just as equal as men, and not just on the soccer field. Women’s soccer could serve as the messenger to the world, and “kickoff” a new attitude for the equal treatment of women and really get the ball rolling on equal pay for women. This sport has the unique opportunity to use its influence to change attitudes that will seep
According to sportswriter Paul Gallico noun, “It is a lady’s business to look beautiful and there are hardly any sports in which she seems able to do it”. An abundance of people today believe that women are not worthy of receiving the same treatment in sports as men for this reason. First of all, there has been a law signed which is against gender inequality in athletics, but a bountiful amount of schools, including high schools and colleges, are not in compliance with it, and have not lost federal funding from not satisfying with it. Secondly, it is rare to see women's sports be recognized in the news and media. Lastly, women do not earn nearly as much money as men do in sports. I pronoun strongly believe that women deserve to be treated equally to men in athletics.
Yet, for all of this success the treatment of the women's game within FIFA is appalling. They are treated almost as if they don't exist within the organization, and it's not as if they don't try to get FIFA’s attention. In 2015, the Women's World Cup was due to be played, but before then an important issue had arisen: it was going to be played on artificial turf. Several of the World Cup-bound players complained, but neither FIFA nor the Canadian Soccer Association would have any of it. The CSA argued that the turf was FIFA-approved and therefore suitable for playing the game, and FIFA was silent on the matter. Furthermore, the CSA argued that the lawsuit is not valid because the majority of their playing fields are turf. Kate Fagan, a writer
Soccer is a popular sport played all over the world. Even though it has only been popular in the United States for the past 30 years, soccer has been a long time favorite most everywhere else. The sport dates back to the Egyptians, who played games involving the kicking of a ball. Now, the sport has grown to a global pastime, including men’s and women’s teams, and the World Cup (which is played every four years).
In 1972 Title IX is passed creating opportunities for girls and women to participate in sport. In 1973 Billy Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in the "battle of the sexes" tennis match. In 1973 the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) awards the first academic scholarships to women athletes at the collegiate level. Jackie Joiner-Kersee sets the new heptathlon world record and wins a second gold medal in the long jump in 1988. In 1991 Judith Sweet becomes the first woman president of the NCAA. Soccer and softball make it into the Olympic debut in 1996. In 1997 professional basketball debuts with the WNBA and ABL. In 1999 the U.S. Women's Soccer team defeats China for the World Cup win in a record seating of 90,185 people (Cohen, viii).
The passion around the world when it comes to the game of soccer is immeasurable. Known as football in all other nations except Canada and the United States, it is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the world. It is a game played by millions all across the world and in many countries, such as Brazil, soccer contributes to nationalism. Every four years it brings numerous nations together. This coming together, during what is known as the World Cup, is the most viewed sporting event across the globe. Soccer is a sport that has survived many
The adverse topic of women in sports stems from society's disregard to viewing women as persons. Women were, and in other parts of the world continue to be viewed as property of men and have no significant role in society. Being allowed into the Olympics was a step in the right direction for women across the world, but it was meager attempt equality. Women were still restricted by what events they were allowed to compete in, how they were trained and coached and even limited as to what they could wear. A woman’s femininity played a large role in the way they were perceived by society; weak. Women were seen as incommensurate to men and it was something that has taken us centuries to reverse. Today, women are given the rights we should have
Twenty-seven Division I colleges participated in a study where researchers found male athletes received almost six hundred dollars more in scholarships than female athletes and coaches of male teams earned around 190,000 dollars more than coaches of female teams (Kenschaft & Clark, 2016: 355). To earn almost 200,000 dollars more for coaching males instead of females, is only contributing to the sexist theories of women in sports. We wonder why so many female teams cannot find strong coaches but they are all headed to coach the men’s teams to receive more money. The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team received two million dollars for winning the 2015 Women’s World Cup, while
In the last one hundred years women have made tremendous inroads in many facets of life. Of that there can be little doubt. Women may now hold jobs, own property and participate in professional sports. Today women can compete in sports, once a vestige of male domination; there is now room for women in that arena. But even today women in sports are not portrayed in the same light as their male counterparts. To a large degree this is because of today's cultural ideal of women.