Rapinoe calls for more investment in US women's game

SHOWS: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 13, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEGAN RAPINOE, U.S. WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYER, SAYING:

"Whenever I talk about NWSL, I always say it just needs money. But the money needs to be put towards good people so we can operate at a really high level. I always think about it like personally. We have our agents and they're best in class and personally we operate at a very high level. I think the federation operates at a decent level, but I think there is a lot of revenue and a lot of upside left on the table. And then I think the NWSL is not operating a super high level. To only have one really major corporate sponsor sign on after the World Cup after everything that happened, How how did that happen? Are brands not wanting to or do we not have the mechanism in place to actually allow them to get involved? So it's kind of a long winded answer to everything, but I think ultimately we need the best and brightest people to be working in front offices so that we can actually run the business properly to then get athletes paid more and build the brand."

STORY: Two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe has been at the forefront of the U.S. national women's team's fight for gender pay equity but the fiery forward has told Reuters she also hopes for more investment in the domestic league and better pay for club players.

Earlier this month, the U.S. National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) announced new compensation guidelines for 2020, including a nearly 20 percent increase in the overall salary cap as well as allocation money allowing teams to invest in some players above the maximum salary.

However, the funds cannot be used to pay players who are members of the U.S. and Canadian national teams, a move that Rapinoe, a standout for the NWSL's Reign FC, criticized.