With subpar performance comes subpar pay. Or, that’s at least what most would assume.

But in the world of professional soccer, the terms pay and talent seem inversely proportional.

After the U.S. Men’s Soccer team lost to Trinidad and Tobago 2-1, it was eliminated from entering 2018 World Cup.

It’s the first time in 30 years that the team hasn’t qualified to enter the World Cup – but it’s definitely not the first time the men have underperformed, losing early in the competition.

The team has a long history of being decent, but never great. It has always been expected to make it to the World Cup, but never truly expected to win it.

Despite the lack of wins, the men’s team actually makes over double on any placement in the World Cup.

According to Business Insider, “Members of the women’s team received a $75,000 bonus for winning the 2015 Women’s World Cup. If the men were to ever win a World Cup, their bonus under the current structure would be more than four times larger at nearly $400,000.”

Note the “if.”

The U.S. Women’s Soccer team has won the World Cup three times, a record that places them as the most successful women’s team ever. The men’s squad is still waiting for their first.

While already-pro women struggle to earn the money they deserve, aspiring professional athletes are affected watch in despair.

Members of the EHS’s girls soccer team are well aware of the pay disparity. In fact, the squad has discussed the issue during practice, said junior midfielder Paityn Schneider.

“One of my teammates had brought it up and all of us strongly agreed that it should no longer be that way and fixed soon,” she said. “Obviously since we are girls, we would feel that they should get equal pay because we do virtually the same thing.”

Schneider went on to emphasize that while she doesn’t know how a change would first be implemented; it’s necessary for it to occur.

The professional women’s players are taking the first step toward altering the situation – five members of the U.S. Women’s National Team have filed wage-discrimination lawsuits.

One of the most famous players on the team, goalie Hope Solo, expressed her thoughts on why she filed eloquently to The New York Times: “The numbers speak for themselves. We are the best in the world, have three World Cup championships, four Olympic championships, and the USMNT get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships.”

Even though the men’s team is disappointing, the salary they earn for underperforming is more so. Fortunately for the future professional women, the fight for equality has already begun.

The world can only wait and hope that the women will win this match, too.