US superstar Megan Rapinoe hopes that future stars of the women's national team will benefit from their ongoing battle over equal pay in the sport.
Rapinoe, who won the 2019 Women's Ballon d'Or after a scintillating World Cup campaign, insisted that she wants the next generation of players to focus on playing football instead of fighting for equal pay.
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The Reign star told E! News: "Knowing how much is required of us to make a lot of money and all that extra work, I do hope one day that players can just play and if they want to do stuff off the field, great.
"I absolutely will be jealous and I'll probably be like that jaded older player.
"I'll never pay for anything around them ever again! They can pay for everything because I'll know they'll have it!"
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The US women's national team launched a now-dismissed lawsuit against US Soccer calling for over $66m in damages under the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The equal pay case may have been dismissed, but both US Soccer and the women's team agreed to an unequal working condition claim outside of court in 2020.
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Now, those who represent the US women's team can appeal wage discrimination claims under the Equal Pay Act.
Rapinoe recently insisted that equal pay is on her mind when she pulls on the US national team shirt, saying she wears the shirt for the "fans and for kids who want to be in my position."
The two-time Women's World Cup winner explained: "For me, when I pull on the shirt, I'm not thinking about the federation.
"I see them [US Soccer executives] pulling up to the game and I think, 'That's cute, that's nice.'
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"I feel like I pull on this shirt for equal pay and for the fans and for kids who want to be in my position. So that never feels in conflict."
Featured Image Credit: GQ/PATopics: NWSL, Football, National Women's Soccer League, Megan Rapinoe