Spectacular Things

The US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women’s soccer competition. While the International Federation of Association Football, or FIFA, is soccer’s international governing body, the US Women’s National Team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The Women’s National Team was established in 1985 and claimed victory in the very first Women’s World Cup, held in 1991. Eight years later, the 1999 Women’s World Cup became a turning point for the team and for women’s professional sports as a whole when the US team hosted, drew record crowds, and won. Brandi Chastain’s winning penalty shot and the celebratory moments that followed have become iconic in sports history (“About the United States Women’s National Soccer Team.” Soccernovo, 28 June 2023).

The continued success of the Women’s National Team in the following years increased the sport’s popularity, which led to the formation of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2013 with eight teams. As of 2025 the league has 14 active teams and two more—Denver Summit and Boston Legacy—slated to join. The NWSL features a single-division structure, a season that runs from February to October, and a playoff system leading to the league championships (National Women’s Soccer League). In recent years, players have addressed concerns regarding compensation and benefits through Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), contracts negotiated between the league and players’ unions. A CBA in 2017 set minimum salaries and established free agency after five years. In 2024, the CBA was ratified to eliminate the draft system altogether, granting players more choice in their career paths (Bullard, Eric C. “National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).” EBSCO, 2025).

Gender bias and discrimination are often at the forefront of discourse about women’s professional soccer. In a nod to fans, Spectacular Things notes: “Every women’s World Cup breaks records in attendance, viewership, and revenue because of the fans, who not only show up but speak out about the need for equality in pay, exposure, and distribution” (347). This alludes to equity between male and female athletes at comparable levels of competition. The 1972 Title IX civil rights law made it illegal for publicly funded activities to exclude anyone from participating based on sex. Consequently, all public schools, including universities, have had to provide women with the same sports opportunities they provided for men, prompting an enormous increase in girls and women playing sports (Bullard).

Despite the popularity and consistent success of the US Women’s National Team, players experience significant disparities compared to the Men’s National Team. In 2019, the team filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation alleging discrimination. The ruling went against them due to opponents’ claims about unequal performance based on physiological differences between men and women, as well as arguments that men’s sports generated more revenue. The team appealed the ruling and in 2022 they reached a settlement with USSF for $24 million. The settlement included a CBA that established equal pay for individual competitions and World Cup participation (Crelin, Joy. “Gender Equity in Professional Sports: Overview.” EBSCO, 2025).

Spectacular Things also takes on the issue of sexual abuse in women’s soccer at both professional and youth levels. Oliver specifically mentions the Yates Report, which publicized the findings of former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates’s investigation into allegations of abuse within the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022. The report documented systemic abuse in the league, as well as a pattern of officials ignoring reports of abuse. The Yates investigation followed a scandal in 2021 that occurred when The Athletic investigated and wrote about coach Paul Riley of the North Carolina Courage. Over a dozen players had accused Riley of verbal and sexual abuse, but Riley was only fired in the wake of the article when the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) called for broader investigations. The findings of the Yates Report shortly after increased visibility of the many issues that affect players’ safety and prompted the league’s commitments to further improvements in oversight and protection (Bullard).