AOC wants victorious US women’s world cup team to be paid twice what male players get

Outspoken Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez congratulated the US women’s football team on their World Cup victory by calling for the players to be paid double the men’s rate.

A penalty from Megan Rapinoe followed by a goal from Rose Lavelle saw the US women’s team beat the Netherlands on Sunday to take home their fourth Women’s World Cup trophy. 

No sooner had the match ended than USA Today journalist Nancy Armour reported fans chanting “Equal pay!,” a reference to the ongoing gender discrimination lawsuit filed by the team against the US Soccer Federation, claiming they are paid 38 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn.

“At this point we shouldn’t even be asking for equal pay,” Ocasio-Cortez chimed in, possibly joking. “We should demand they be paid at least twice as much.”

Demands for at least equal pay have echoed over social media throughout the France 2019 event. Democrat politicians jumped aboard the bandwagon too, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanding equal pay following the victory on Sunday, and Hillary Clinton throwing in her two cents earlier on Friday.

Supporters of equal –or even greater– pay argue that the women’s team has generated more revenue than the men’s since they last won the World Cup in 2015. Moreover, they have been more successful on the pitch. The men’s team failed to qualify for Russia 2018, and has yet to win a World Cup, counting a third place finish in Uruguay 1930 as its best result.

Nevertheless, an avalanche of comments flowed in. Some trolls joked that if the women’s team were to get a pay bump, so too should the FC Dallas under-15’s boys team, who beat the national women’s team 5-2 in 2017. Others pointed out that until the women’s tournament closes the $5.9 billion revenue gap with the men’s competition, wages and prize money will remain lower.

“People were able to get tickets to the @USWNT for $15 to the semifinals,” one wrote. “$15 will get you a beer for a men’s game.”

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