Abby Wambach Says USWNT Equal Pay Victory Is a 'Huge Deal' for 'Women Everywhere'

Former soccer star Abby Wambach is so proud of the big moves the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has made for equality in sports.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE about her podcast We Can Do Hard Things with wife, author Glennon Doyle, Wambach opened up about her reaction to the USWNT’s legal victory over the U.S. Soccer Federation in February.

The USWNT and the U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed in a February statement that an agreement had been reached following a class action lawsuit. The women’s team, including multiple stars of 2019 World Cup-winning team, accused the U.S. Soccer Federation of gender discrimination. A settlement agreed upon between the two parties rewarded the women’s team with a $22 million payout and an additional $2 million to go to the USWNT players’ post-career goals.

Wambach, 41, told PEOPLE that the impact goes beyond this one case. “It’s a huge deal because it’s also not just a statement for this team and soccer,” she said.

“This is a statement for women everywhere,” Wambach said, adding that women in any industry can benefit from the verdict. “Another woman looking at an article, or hearing or reading this can think to themselves, ‘Wait, am I getting paid the same as my male counterparts? How should I figure that out?’ ”

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