The USWNT loss to Sweden in the Round of 16 at the World Cup wasn't completely shocking. Not really.
Not with Sweden's standing on the world stage — the Swedes were FIFA's third-ranked team entering the tournament — combined with key injuries to notable American stars in Mal Swanson, Catarina Macario, Becky Sauerbrunn and Samantha Mewis.
Other factors that made the loss understandable, in retrospect, include an overall aging U.S. roster, some suspect roster additions and exclusions , and, of course, the heroics of Swedish goalkeeper Zecira Musovic .
Shocking or not, the loss to the Swedes did bring with it consequences well beyond just the earliest World Cup exit in U.S. history, though.
Related
For one, per ESPN's Caitlin Murray , head coach Vlatko Andonovski is all but assured to not retain his position with the team, after serving as the national team's head coach since 2019.
More than that, though, the Americans' early exit cost the 23 members of the USWNT more than $3 million in FIFA prize monies combined.
It also cost the members of the USMNT, thanks to the collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) that the players' unions for both teams signed with U.S. Soccer last year, an agreement that splits 90% of the total prize money that FIFA awards the U.S. evenly between the men's and women's teams.
According to Time's Sean Gregory , had the USWNT team won the World Cup this year, combined with the USMNT having advanced to the knockout stage of the Men's World Cup last winter, the men's and women's teams would have each received $10.575 million each, averaging out to $459,783 per player on the USWNT in FIFA prize money.
By losing to the Swedes in the Round of 16, though, the USWNT and USMNT will receive only $7,312,500 each, averaging out to $317,935 per USWNT player, a loss of $141,848 per woman.
A loss indeed.
