“The US has never won a World Cup” seems to be a common statement that has been circulating since the exciting lead-up to the country being a co-host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
For months, reporters, fans, and critics have talked nonstop about the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, or more specifically, their lack of a star above their crest. The USMNT has never been a top contender on the international stage — they haven’t gotten past the Round of 16 since 2002, and before that, 1930 (the inaugural tournament). Currently, they are ranked by FIFA as the 16th (ironic, huh?) best team globally. They have never medaled at the Olympics, and continually disappoint soccer fans when compared to other top international teams such as Argentina, Spain, or England.
The more unfortunate part of this, to me, at least, is the fact that this statement isn’t entirely true. Saying it is actually quite exclusionary and ignorant, because it should actually say “The US Men’s Team has never won a World Cup.”
The US Women’s National Soccer Team has won 4, and out of all of the World Cups since the inaugural tournament in 1991 (which they won, by the way), they have only not made it past the Round of 16 once. Every other tournament, they have always made it to at least the Semi-Finals.
On top of that, the USWNT has 5 Olympic gold medals (including the most recent 2024 Paris Olympics), as well as one silver and one bronze, meaning they have medaled in every Olympics they’ve been a part of besides one. They are also currently ranked second internationally by FIFA.
This is all to say that discounting the Women’s Team when discussing USA World Cup wins is misleading, unfair, and dismissive.
It erases the legacy of an incredibly resilient and successful team and reveals an underlying bias in the way we talk about sports: women’s achievements are not comparable to men’s and are therefore treated as exceptions in our nation’s history rather than inclusions. It also promotes the idea that women’s sports are inferior, female athletes should not be taken seriously, and success is only measured by the accomplishments of men.
The largest part of these issues comes from the unconscious biases that are embedded in our society. For centuries, societies were structured politically, economically, and socially around men — they were granted access to better opportunities, athletics, education, and leadership roles. What they did became the default and the standard. But women couldn’t just meet those standards.
They had to exceed them, and even then, it might not be enough.
We can see these biases in the language we use now, and when looking at sports specifically, the bias becomes clear. For men, we say the World Cup, the NBA, or the “US National Team.” But for women, it has to be specified. It’s the Women’s World Cup, the WNBA, and the “US Women’s National Team”.
Language becomes something that is used to shape perceptions, and so when one team, or gender, is treated as the standard, the other becomes the exception. They become a separate category which is not to be compared to the original, and so it’s easy to overlook their accomplishments, no matter how big.
Their accomplishments become good enough for their category, but not for all categories.
The arguments many people use against this are that the women are not on the same “level” as the men. The issue is that no one stops to wonder why. It isn’t just physical differences or gendered stereotypes; it’s about inequality and systemic privilege within professional soccer.
Inequalities reveal themselves in the professional sports environment (specifically between men and women) in a variety of ways. It comes in the form of financial support and resources, media coverage and representation, the depth of opportunities, and accessibility as a whole. And while all of these factors contribute to the disparity between men’s and women’s soccer, they all stem from the same issue: women have historically been denied the same opportunities to grow, compete, and succeed.
Firstly, let’s take a look at the depth of opportunities and accessibility. The first Men’s World Cup occurred in 1930, while the first Women’s World Cup didn’t take place until 1991. A large part of this comes from the fact that, from 1921 to 1971, England, along with Brazil, France, Wales, Germany, and Spain, officially banned women’s professional soccer on FA (Football Association)-affiliated pitches and grounds. Bans like these sent a clear message: women’s sports would not be considered as a serious investment, or even something to pay attention to.
While the US never officially instated any ban, it took them until 1972 to enact Title IX, a law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal funding.
Finally, women and girls had more access to athletics programs that could develop their skills and cultivate their passions in a supportive environment. This legislation allowed for real change in how women’s soccer was treated, and because of that, teams like the USWNT were allowed more resources to flourish. It is not by some miracle or accident that this team has dominated the sport; it’s because they were given the tools they needed to evolve, and eventually thrive.
It’s not as simple as just gaining access, though. After finally getting the opportunity to play, women faced an even larger barrier: the pay gap. They were not afforded the same financial investment that their male counterparts were given. Federations, clubs, and sponsorships didn’t pour the same amount of money into women’s sports, overlooking them entirely because the resources they lacked made it harder for them to compete.
This began a cycle that is still prevalent today; men’s soccer continues to generate greater revenue because they were given more in the first place, creating a false narrative that women simply don’t produce the same numbers.
A prime example of this is the 2019 lawsuit from many Women’s National Team players against the U.S. Soccer Federation, filed under the Equal Pay Act and Title IX. Spanning over three years, the USWNT fought to be paid the same as the men’s team, who made double what they did while winning far fewer games. Though they did substantially equivalent work, their earnings reflected a different story, and a different time.
While courts rejected the women’s claims in 2020, stating that “market realities are such that women do not deserve to be paid equally to the men”. Negotiations continued until 2022, when U.S. Soccer paid $24 million to the athletes, funding back players’ salaries, post-career plans, and initiatives to grow women’s soccer across the country.
And while there are still many barriers to surmount, including the immense difference in the World Cup prize money (in the last men’s and women’s tournament — 2022 and 2023, respectively — the men’s victor won $440 million, while the women won $10.5 million), progress is being made to award women the equality they deserve.
What further reinforces these disparities is the comparison in media coverage. Men’s sports consistently get more airtime, flashier titles, higher marketing budgets, and sponsorships. Because of this, men’s sports have higher viewership, which sends a message that they’re more engaging, when in reality, there are fewer opportunities for women to be seen in general.
With this imbalance of coverage comes unfair associations with the two teams — the men are seen and advertised, while the women are put on the back burner, so when discussing soccer comes up, the men come to mind first. During the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup, news outlets and endless social media users debated whether the US Team would finally win their first World Cup, disregarding the trailblazing team that has already won four times.
Recognizing the achievements of the USWNT does not diminish the struggles of the USMNT, nor does it erase the differences between the men’s and women’s games. The point is to insist that both terms deserve equal treatment in all facets of professional soccer, from pay to representation. American World Cup trophies and other achievements should be recognized without gendering them, but providing equitable solutions to close the gender gaps in professional sports should be a priority as well.
All this to say, the statement should not be “the U.S. has never won a World Cup.” Instead, a more accurate sentence is “The U.S. Men’s National Team has never won a World Cup, but the United States has.” That distinction may seem small, but language matters. The words we choose shape who is remembered, whose accomplishments are celebrated, and whose legacy becomes part of our national identity. Until both teams are recognized for their accomplishments, dedication, and perseverance, this country will continue to overlook and dismiss one of the greatest soccer teams in history.
All this to say, make sure to tune into the 2027 Women’s World Cup, hosted in Brazil!