Governing Bodies
‘SHOCKED’ US WOMEN SOCCER STARS TO APPEAL EQUAL PAY DEFEAT
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan on Monday (May 4) said the US women’s national team will appeal against defeat in their equal pay lawsuit, describing the judge’s ruling in the case as “shocking”.
In a widely unexpected decision on Friday, Judge Gary Klausner rejected the US women’s claim of pay discrimination, finding in favour of the United States Soccer Federation.
Although the judge said claims of gender discrimination in areas such as travel, housing and medical support could proceed to trial, the equal pay part of the lawsuit – the central plank of the women’s case – had been dismissed.
Speaking on ABC television’s Good Morning America programme on Monday, Rapinoe and Morgan voiced dismay at the outcome but pledged to fight on.
“We were just shocked,” Morgan said. “This decision was out of left field for us. I think for both sides it was very unexpected. We will definitely be appealing and moving forward.
“If anyone knows anything about the heart of this team, we are fighters and we will continue to fight together for this.”
In dismissing the equal pay claim, Judge Klausner said the case was unwarranted because there was evidence the women had previously turned down an offer in the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations to be paid along the lines of the US men’s team.
However Rapinoe challenged that part of the judge’s decision.
“The men’s contract was never offered to us and certainly not the same amount of money,” she said.
“I think so many women can understand what this feeling is of going into a negotiation, knowing equal pay is not on the table, knowing anywhere close to your male counterparts is not even on the table.”
Rapinoe also said the fact that the women had earned more than the US men during the period where pay discrimination was alleged was also misleading.
In the period in question, the women’s team played 111 games and earned US$24.5 million (S$34.7 million). The men played 87 games and made US$18.5 million.
The men’s figure however would likely have been substantially higher had they qualified for the 2018 World Cup.
“If we were under the men’s contract, we would be making three times more,” Rapinoe said.
“So you can look at the total compensation. In that time that we’ve made just a little bit more, we’ve won two World Cups and we’ve won just about every single game that we’ve played in.
“So the rate of pay is just so different. It’s just so frustrating.”
The US women, who clinched back-to-back World Cup wins with victory at last year’s finals in France, had been seeking back pay of US$66 million under the US Equal Pay Act.
-AFP
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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