USA star Allie Long urges every women's team to join fight for equal pay after boos at World Cup Final

Speaking out: Allie Long (far right) celebrates USA’s triumph with Alex Morgan (middle) and Kelley O’Hara
Getty Images

World Cup winner Allie Long urged every national team in women’s football to join the fight for equal pay, after FIFA chief Gianni Infantino was humiliated at the Stade de Lyon on Sunday.

Infantino was booed by fans before he handed over the World Cup trophy to the USA following their 2-0 win over the Netherlands.

Afterwards, Long’s team-mate Megan Rapinoe, who is leading a dispute between American players and the US Soccer Federation over pay parity, challenged FIFA to end inequality between men and women and told Infantino: “A little public shame never hurt anybody, right?”

The USA, Australia and Sweden have all brought the fight to FIFA but Long says they now need the backing of other nations, big and small. “Winning this [World Cup] has set the precedent for equal pay in the United States and hopefully around the world,” she added.

“I encourage women all over [the world] to believe they are equal and that they deserve equal pay. I hope we can unify every national team. I don’t care who, everyone deserves their share.

“The USWNT has been fighting for that for a couple of years, so we’re proud hearing that [chanting] and knowing we have so much support behind us.

“We just hope that the rest of the women, every female in the stadium, every female watching back home, know that one day there will be equal pay. I truly believe that.”

Netherlands star Danielle van der Donk, however, distanced herself from Long’s comments, suggesting her nation were not yet ready to join the fight.

“It’s great that America is right behind the girls,” Arsenal midfielder van der Donk said.

“They are a bit further with that than we are. I don’t want to get involved. It’s a big thing in America but we don’t have it yet in the Netherlands. We can’t get involved in such a big message.”

Retaining the World Cup earned the Americans $4million (£3.2m) — double the amount they were awarded when winning the tournament four years ago — as part of a $30m (£24m) prize pot but it remains someway short of the $38m (£30.3m) earned by France for lifting the men’s trophy last July. The men’s pot was $400m (£319m).

Long added: “What we do on the field should be enough. But if the public get involved, that’s not going to hurt us. We want more people to believe females deserve equal pay. If the public want to help our fight, then that’s awesome.”

Of the booing aimed at Infantino, she said: “It was a huge moment. It’s about time that it [the equal pay issue] gets recognition, it’s about time that women do get paid more.”

Rapinoe’s sixth goal of the tournament set the USA on their way to victory and earned her the Golden Boot. The 34-year-old was also named player of the tournament.

The USA players were this morning waiting to discover if they would be invited to the White House by President Trump, who has been involved in a public spat with Rapinoe.

Long said the squad would support the stance of skipper Rapinoe, a gay icon who had sworn not to visit Capitol Hill in the event of a USA triumph. She added: “Megan said she will not be going there, so we stand behind her.

In Pictures | USA vs Netherlands, Women's World Cup Final | 07/07/2019

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“We stand unified together. But we need the invite first.”

Trump had challenged Rapinoe to win the tournament before talking, and her team-mate Tobin Heath said: “It’s not easy to speak up and then also to follow it up with action. Pinoe’s done it so well to stay focused on the task at hand but also be fighting a parallel fight.

“It’s synonymous with the USA women’s national team — we fight to win games and we fight for things off the field, too.”

Long, meanwhile, believes her Reign club-mate Rapinoe deserves “every ounce” of credit for playing such a big part in the team’s success.

“She is special,” said Long. “She is an amazing team-mate and an amazing person.

“I’m truly honoured to share the field with her. I just love her so much. She’s one of the bravest people that I know and someone that stands up for people that don’t have a voice. That’s so much harder than people realise to do. I just love her.”

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