INTERNATIONAL: The US Soccer Federation has offered identical contract proposals to the men's and women's players associations, in an effort to bring them under one collective bargaining structure. Essentially it means equal work, equal pay for both male and female players. US Soccer says "finding a way to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money" between men's and women's national teams is now necessary as well. FIFA offered prize money of just $30 million to teams in the 2019 women's World Cup. In the men’s world cup, prize money of $400 million was on offer.

There’s been no immediate comment from the US women’s national team, but US Soccer’s announcement came just days after its President Cindy Parlow Cone called "the massive discrepancy in FIFA World Cup prize money" the most challenging issue in their negotiations with the two teams.

The US won the 2019 Women’s World Cup, but the prize money they took home remains a major bone of contention. The women’s team sued their national governing body, seeking $66 million in damages under the Equal Pay Act. They alleged “gender discrimination in compensation” and nearly every other aspect of playing conditions. A judge threw out the players' claims that they were underpaid. The women’s team has since filed an appeal.

It’s hoped the new collective bargaining agreement will bring the legal dispute to an end and pressure FIFA to equalize prize money across its two world cups.

^{PHOTO: STILL PHOTOS FILE OF US WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM}