'You're not better because you're a boy': Megan Rapinoe leads furious US women’s soccer team in on-pitch protest

$66m discrimination lawsuit row escalates over misogynistic language in court filing

US women's national team players, including Megan Rapinoe (right) stand with their jerseys turned inside out during the playing of the national anthem before a SheBelieves Cup women's soccer match against Japan (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

A dispute between the US Soccer Federation and the women’s national team escalated on Wednesday, leading to a player protest and a humiliating apology from the federation.

Ahead of a 3-1 win over Japan in the final of the SheBelieves Cup in Frisco, Texas, the team turned their warm-up shirts inside out during the national anthems and team photo, hiding the national team logo, but not the four stars signifying their four World Cup wins.

The players and the organisation are battling each other in a $66m discrimination lawsuit over a dispute about pay — the women’s team is currently paid much less than the men’s team.

The most recent development in the dispute arose from a court filing in which the federation argued that women had less physical ability than men and that this was “indisputable science” rather than “a sexist stereotype.”

Star player Megan Rapinoe, who led the team to win the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, blasted federation president Carlos Cordeiro after the game.

“We've sort of felt that those are some of the undercurrent feelings that they've had for a long time,” Ms Rapinoe said, referring to the court document. “But to see that as the argument, as blatant misogyny and sexism as the argument against us, is really disappointing.

“But I just want to say, it's all false,” she added. “To every girl out there, to every boy out there, who watches this team, who wants to be on this team, or just wants to live their dream out, you are not lesser just because you're a girl. You are not better just because you're a boy.

“We're all created equal and should all have the equal opportunity to go out and pursue our dreams, and for us that means playing on the soccer field. So, everything that was in that deposition, what they said in the argument is just not true. Don't ever believe that.”

A statement released by the players said: “We wanted to stand together as a team and make a statement on behalf of all women and girls that the federation‘s comments are unacceptable. We love this sport and this country, and we cannot stand for this misogynistic treatment.”

It wasn’t just the team players that were outraged by the filing. Major corporate sponsors were too, including Budweiser, Visa and Coca Cola.

Coca-Cola had called the federation’s assertion in documents filed earlier this week “unacceptable and offensive.”

President Carlos Cordeiro’s apology read: “On behalf of US Soccer, I sincerely apologise for the offence and pain caused by language in this week’s court filing, which did not reflect the values of our federation or our tremendous admiration of our women’s national team.

“Our players are incredibly talented and work tirelessly, as they have demonstrated time and again from their Olympic gold medals to their World Cup titles.”

He also announced a shake-up of the federation’s legal team, saying they had retained the firm Latham & Watkins.

“I have made it clear to our legal team that even as we debate facts and figures in the course of this case, we must do so with the utmost respect not only for our women’s national team players but for all female athletes around the world,” Mr Cordeiro said.

Players filed the gender discrimination lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles last year, claiming they are paid less than their counterparts on the men’s national team. The women are seeking more than $66m in damages under the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and a trial is scheduled for 5 May.

With reporting from the Associated Press