Virginie Phulpin 07:29, February 24, 2022

Every day, the morning of Europe 1 returns to one of the sporting events which makes the news.

Thursday, Virginie Phulpin is interested in the decision of the American football federation to pay the players of its national team at the same level as its men's team.

This is Virginie Phulpin's sports editorial.

Great news for women's sports.

The American soccer federation will pay the players of its national team at the same level as its men's team.

And this breakthrough should benefit athletes around the world.

"When we win, everyone wins."

The phrase is from Megan Rapinoe, the iconic captain of the American team.

And she is right.

It is first of all the victory of the world champions of football, but it will serve as a basis for all the sportswomen of the world.

The American players had filed an appeal against the policy of their federation which they considered discriminatory.

And the question of victory bonuses was at the heart of the problem.

Judge for yourselves.

The Americans won the 2015 World Cup. They were entitled to just under a million and a half euros in bonuses in all.

The men of the American team were eliminated in the round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup. They got 4.5 million euros.

So I know, the men's world cup brings in a lot more money,

FIFA therefore redistributes more to the national federations.

But afterwards, the federations can redistribute in an egalitarian way.

Especially with such favorable results for women.

This is what the American federation ended up accepting.

But can it really make its way elsewhere than in the United States?

Wendie Renard, captain of the Bleues, says that the Americans can afford to fight such battles because they have a record as long as the arm and that weighs in the balance.

It's true.

They are quadruple world champions, they generate more income than their fellow footballers, the audience record for a football match on TV is their 2015 final, 25 million viewers in the United States.

The players do not come close to them.

You all know Megan Rapinoe, many of you know who Alex Morgan is.

Now go name me American players.

It's more difficult, isn't it?

And yet, these stars had to fight for equality.

So if it didn't bother anyone that men had World Cup bonuses three times higher than those of women, with results three times worse, and attracting a lot less public, why wouldn't we reverse the roles in Europe? , and in France ?

How would it be a problem if the bonuses for national team players are the same as those for men, even if they have a lot less audience?

Please note, I am talking about national team bonuses, not club salaries, don't worry.

These bonuses are a tiny bit of income for the players.

And the role of the national teams is perhaps also to strive for equality.

Even if the Blue ones do not make it their priority for the moment.

We will come there.

Because Americans have shown the way.

As Megan Rapinoe says,