The U.S. Soccer Women’s National Team [USWNT] just won FIFA’s Women’s World Cup, in their first back-to-back and for the 4th time.

They have also been 3rd place holders in 3 different occasions and 2nd place holders once, which means they have made it to the top 3 every single time since the Women’s World Cup exists.

Their male counterparts? Well, they only made it to 3rd place once, which is also awesome, but which does not make sense when it is time for payday. 

The average pay gap between women and men in the United States, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, is around 19.3%, meaning a woman who works full-time, all-year-round manages to earn roughly 80.7% of what a man doing the same job does. Note this gap can become larger or smaller, depending on where someone lives within the country. 

But in the world of soccer, this gap scores even higher, with women seeing their potential earnings –throughout a FIFA World Cup– reduced to the neighborhood of 24% of what the men’s team could earn if they won. 

Just to give you a number, FIFA offered $400 million as the prize total for men in their last World Cup in Russia, just last year. The money available for women in this year’s tournament comes to a total of merely $30 million. Talk about the pay gap. 

So yes, this is about women winning, but it is also about women winning and not being monetarily recognized for it. At least, not in the same way as men. Not within the U.S. Soccer Federation, not within the FIFA.

No wonder why the 28 members of the USWNT filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination on International Women’s Day, earlier this year. And no wonder why you could hear the crowd chanting “equal pay” in the French stadium after the USWNT team won the cup.

Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, members of the team, felt the U.S. Soccer Federation had the opportunity to take "an incredibly bold stance" on the equal pay subject, and as a team, they agreed to start mediation for negotiations after the World Cup Championship ended. 

And with Rapinoe making headlines after her famous line about not wanting to go the White House if they won, it is not only women but gay women who are taking it to the next level to stand up for what they believe is right, proving they deserve it without question.

Something a lot of people may not like.

But if women and the LGBTQ+ communities are ever considered minorities, then it is minorities who are changing the world one day at a time, and the rest of the population on Earth should follow.