Heather E. Schwartz 
US Women’s National Soccer Team 
Winning On and Off the Field

The US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) is among the best soccer teams in the world. Over the years, the team won gold medals at both the Olympics and the FIFA Women’s World Cup four times. As the team’s success grew, fans started coming out in record numbers to watch them play. But even though the USWNT made many accomplishments, the team also faced challenges. For many years after the women’s national team first began in 1985, it was underfunded. The USWNT had worse equipment and facilities and received less payment than the men’s national team. More than once, players of the USWNT took a stand. Until finally, in 2021, the US Soccer Federation made an agreement guaranteeing that the women’s and men’s teams would receive equal pay. Follow the journey of the USWNT on and off the field.