Live updates: US women’s soccer ticker-tape parade in NYC | CNN

Women’s World Cup champions celebrate with NYC parade

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 10:  Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Allie Long celebrate during the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Victory Parade and City Hall Ceremony on July 10, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The US women's soccer team knows how to celebrate
01:21 • Source: CNN
01:21

What we covered here

  • Victory celebration: The US women’s soccer team was honored at a ceremony of New York City Hall. They also rode floats during a ticker tape parade in Manhattan following their World Cup victory.
  • About their gold medal win: They won over the Netherlands 2-0 on Sunday in France.
  • Their other fight: Months before the tournament kicked off, members of the team filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation demanding equal pay.
24 Posts

Our live coverage of the championship celebration has ended. Scroll through the posts below to see how it unfolded or keep reading CNN for more.

Here's where you can see the US women's soccer team next

If you missed the US women’s championship parade today in New York City, you’ll have another chance to see the team again.

The US Women’s National Team has announced a five-stop victory lap

The national team will reunite to face the women of Ireland on August 3 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, US Soccer announced this week. It’ll be the US women’s first match since their win. 

They’ll play four more matches on August 29, September 3, October 3 and October 6. Locations and opponents will be announced at a later date. 

The national team has missed at least two months of the National Women’s Soccer League season. So, it’s unclear which players will return for the victory tour. The league’s regular season ends in mid-October.

Megan Rapinoe: "Yes, we're female athletes, but we're so much more than that"

US women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe gave a powerful speech during the ceremony at New York City Hall. She said the team is using its platform to “love more, hate less.”

Here’s what she said:

She continued calling for fans to think of how they they can make their community better and urging people to “be more” and “be bigger than you’ve ever been before.”

Here’s what else Rapinoe said during the ceremony:

Listen to the whole thing:

No, Megan Rapinoe doesn't want to run for president

Megan Rapino, one of the captains of the US women’s soccer team, has heard some fans’ requests that she run for US president — and she’s not interested.

During the parade earlier today, many fans held up signs that read “Rapinoe for President.” Rapinoe — who has described herself as a “walking protest” — has been politically outspoken, specifically against President Trump.

Earlier this year, she asserted that she would not be “going to the f*****g White House” if the women’s team won the World Cup. Last night, she also shared her message to President Trump.

The crowd just chanted "equal pay" over the US Soccer Federation head's speech

Carlos Cordeiro, president of the US Soccer Federation, was speaking on stage at the New York City Hall ceremony honoring the US women’s soccer team when the crowd erupted into chants of “equal pay.”

“US Soccer has invested more in women’s soccer than any country in the world. And we will continue to invest—” he began before the chants started.

“We will continue to invest more in women’s soccer than any country in the world,” he continued. “We believe at US Soccer that all female athletes deserve fair and equitable pay.”

Some context: Several players have filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation, claiming they deserve to be paid what the American men are paid for their international performances.

The federation denied the claim in May, saying the disparities were the product of business decisions rather than any efforts to discriminate, Sports Illustrated and other media outlets reported. The USSF also said the men and women are subject to different collective bargaining agreements, which are not made public. 

Watch the moment:

The US women's soccer team just danced their way on stage at New York City Hall

The US women’s soccer team just finished their victory in parade in Manhattan. Now they’re at New York City Hall for a ceremony with Mayor Bill de Blasio where they will be presented keys to the city.

The team danced out on stage while “All I Do Is Win” played. Watch the moment in the video below:

The US women's soccer champs are getting keys to New York City

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio just announced that each member of the US women’s soccer team will get a key to New York City. It;’s the highest honor the city gives, he said.

Here's what it looks like to be on the float with Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan

Members of the US women’s soccer team celebrated their World Cup championship win by popping champagne on parade floats.

The US Women’s National Team tweeted videos of stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan during the parade.

One video showed Rapinoe and her teammates waving to the crowd. Another showed Morgan spraying parade-goers with champagne.

Check them out:

This picture pretty much sums up the parade so far — and it's amazing

Alex Morgan, Allie Long and Megan Rapinoe during The US Women's National Soccer Team victory parade.

The US women's team makes more in revenue than the men

The US women’s soccer team made about $50.8 million in revenue between 2016 and 2018. That’s more than the $49.9 million the men’s team made.

The host of CBS Sports HQ Julie Stewart-Binks explained on CNN Wednesday that when it comes to revenue, the women have caught up.

But despite this shrinking gap in revenue, the women’s team still makes significantly less per game.

The women’s team would earn $4,950 if they played 20 games and won them all, for a maximum total of $99,000. The men, however, would earn $13,166 if they won the same amount of games, for a total of $263,320.

These numbers are from a lawsuit that was filed by the USWNT players, claiming the US Soccer Federation is discriminating against the women’s team by paying them less than members of the men’s team.

Here’s a look at the overall revenue of the 2018 and 2019 World Cups:

Yes, there is ticker tape at today's parade

The New York City parade celebrating the US women’s soccer team was billed as a “ticker tape parade” — and it delivered on that promise.

Masses of confetti rained down down on lower Manhattan as the championship team rode floats.

So what is ticker tape, anyway? Printed from stock tickers, a machine that that tracked stock information, ticker tape became a source for scrap paper thousands used to celebrate the homecoming of national heroes.

But today’s confetti probably didn’t come from tickers. As the stock exchange upgraded to using electronic devices, ticker tape became harder to come by, and parade attendees began using shredded paper.

Regardless of the paper’s source, many children who attended today’s parade had fun playing in it:

New York governor signs equal pay legislation during the parade

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo just announced he has signed equity pay legislation in New York state. 

He tweeted a photo of himself at today’s parade.

“The women’s soccer team plays the same game that the men’s soccer players play — only better. If anything, the men should get paid less,” he tweeted.

About the team’s fight for equal pay: Months before the World Cup kicked off, women’s team stars Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation, claiming they deserve to be paid what the American men are paid for their international performances.

The federation denied the claim in May, saying the disparities were the product of business decisions rather than any efforts to discriminate, Sports Illustrated and other media outlets reported. The USSF also said the men and women are subject to different collective bargaining agreements, which are not made public. 

Soccer stars share their behind-the-scenes photos

The US Women’s soccer team is celebrating their fourth World Cup championship with a ticker-tape parade.

Several of the stars documented the celebration on social media, starting even before the floats took off down the streets of New York.

Check it out:

Megan Rapinoe

Morgan Brian

Jessica McDonald

Emily Sonnett with Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh

Former World Cup Champion: "No excuse" to not have equal pay

Former US goalkeeper Briana Scurry said it’s time for equal pay.

Scurry played on the 1999 Women’s World Cup championship team and said on CNN that she thinks there’s “no excuse” to not pay women the same as the men’s team.

Scurry said her 1999 team used their platform and championships to advocate for equal resources like promotions and publicity, as well as hotels and travel amenities.

“So that began the fight,” she said.

Scurry said she appreciates Megan Rapinoe speaking out and continuing the fight for equality that was started in 1999.

“I think the social environment now for these women to get change is very different than it was 20 years ago to get change,” she added.

This 5-year-old soccer player came to root on the team: "That was awesome"

CNN’s Brooke Baldwin is at the parade in downtown Manhattan. She spoke to a group of young soccer players who came to celebrate the US women’s team’s victory.

“That was awesome,” a 5-year-old soccer player told her.

When Baldwin asked the girl why she loves the sport, she responded: “You just can’t give up on your team.”

Here’s the moment:

Mayor Bill de Blasio is on the float with the champs

At this moment, the US women’s soccer team is riding on floats in lower Manhattan during their World Cup victory parade.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, who is also a 2020 presidential candidate, was spotted riding one of the floats. He’s wearing a soccer scarf and waving an American flag.

De Blasio announced the New York City parade on Twitter shortly after the team’s win.

NYC mayor on equal pay: If I were president, I would insist Congress act or use executive order

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat and a 2020 presidential candidate, said he would require equal pay for men and women on national sports teams. 

“If I were president of the United States, I would insist that Congress pass an amendment to the Amateur Sports Act requiring — requiring — equal pay for men and women in all of our national sports teams,” de Blasio said.

He continued: “And if they didn’t do it, I’d use an executive order to have the Treasury Department enforce on the US Soccer Federation, because they’re Tax Exempt, and they’re discriminating, in effect, against women in pay.”

Some context: Months before the World Cup kicked off, women’s team stars Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation, claiming they deserve to be paid what the American men are paid for their international performances.

The federation denied the claim in May, saying the disparities were the product of business decisions rather than any efforts to discriminate, Sports Illustrated and other media outlets reported. The USSF also said the men and women are subject to different collective bargaining agreements, which are not made public. 

A bunch of people at the parade want Megan Rapinoe for president

Soccer fans are packing Lower Manhattan for today’s ticker tape parade. Many of them have brought posters and signs to cheer on the team.

Some of those signs are encouraging Megan Rapinoe to run for president.

Rapinoe — who has described herself as a “walking protest” — has skyrocketed to national prominence for leading her team’s undefeated run to win the World Cup on Sunday and championing the lawsuit demanding pay equal to the men’s team.

She’s outspoken, too: Earlier this year, she asserted that she would not be “going to the f*****g White House” if the women’s team won the World Cup. Last night, she also shared her message to President Trump.

Here’s a look at some of the Rapinoe supporters:

The US women's soccer team has a fourth star. Here's what that means.

The US women’s soccer team has been flashing up the number four in pictures and videos since they won the World Cup on Sunday. Plus, you might have noticed an extra star above the crest on all of the logos, jerseys and new shirts.

The fourth star represents the team’s fourth World Cup the team won — the other three representing championships in 1991, 1999 and 2015.

Here are some times on social media the team has celebrated the fourth star:

President Trump hasn't invited the US women's team to the White House

The US Women’s soccer team hasn’t received an invitation from President Trump to visit the White House after winning the Women’s World Cup.

This White House visit has been a point of tension between players and the President.

A few weeks ago, a reporter from Eight by Eight, a soccer magazine that looks at the sport and its place in culture, asked Megan Rapinoe if she was excited about going to the White House if her team wins the Women’s World Cup.

“Psssh, I’m not going to the f*****g White House,” she fired back before the reporter finished the question. “No. I’m not going to the White House. We’re not gonna be invited. I doubt it.”

Trump responded by tweeting “Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job!”

He continued, “We haven’t yet invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose. Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House, or our Flag, especially since so much has been done for her & the team.”

Rapinoe made no excuses for the willingness of her team to engage in issues beyond wins and losses at a news conference following the World Cup final.

“We say what we feel. All of us really, I know that my voice sometimes is louder, but in meal rooms, in conversations, everybody is in this together,” Rapinoe said, with her medal around her neck. “We are such a proud and strong and defiant group of women.”

Player Rose Lavelle told Poppy Harlow on CNN that she felt like the team was “all on the same page” about if they would go to the White House if Trump extended the invitation, but didn’t specify what that meant.

Another player Kelly O’ Hara continued, “I think that’s a conversation we’ll have as a team and I think that, like she said, deal with it after we enjoy this time together.”

Watch the clip:

GO DEEPER

GO DEEPER