US women footballers鈥� equal pay lawsuit to go to trial in 2020

The US women鈥檚 football team celebrate after beating the Netherlands in the final match of the France 2019 Women鈥檚 World Cup. (AFP/File)

LOS ANGELES: The equal pay lawsuit filed by US women footballers against the US Soccer Federation has been scheduled to go to trial on May 5, 2020, the players鈥� spokesperson said Monday.

The gender discrimination lawsuit regarding unequal pay and working conditions was filed on March 8 by 28 players, and Monday鈥檚 trial date, set by US District Judge R. Gary Klausner in Los Angeles, comes a week after the players and the federation reached an impasse in mediation.

鈥淲e are pleased with the expeditious schedule that has been set by the Court and we are eager to move forward with this case,鈥� Molly Levinson, a spokesperson for the US women players, said in a statement. 鈥淲e very much look forward to the trial in May 2020 when the players will have their day in court.

鈥淲e have every confidence that these world champion athletes will get what they legally deserve 鈥� nothing less than equal pay and working conditions.鈥�

The May date will put the jury trial amid the team鈥檚 buildup to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, although it remains possible a settlement could be reached before then.

The issue was center stage as the US triumphed in the Women鈥檚 World Cup in France in July, chants of 鈥渆qual pay鈥� raining down on the champions after they defeated the Netherlands in the final.

US lawmakers have proposed legislation that would block federal funding for the 2026 Men鈥檚 World Cup 鈥� to be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada 鈥�  until the federation pays its women鈥檚 national team 鈥渇air and equitable wages.鈥� 

A US Soccer spokesman said the federation was 鈥渃ontinuing to work to find a resolution鈥� to the dispute.

Federation president Carlos Cordeiro issued figures last month that he said showed US Soccer had compensated women more than men over the past decade, but the women players said the figures were misleading, noting they included salaries for National Women鈥檚 Soccer League play.