The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) is embroiled in litigation with one of its national teams, whose players allege the federation underpaid them.



Yes, that describes the well-publicized U.S. women’s national team equal-pay lawsuit, scheduled to go to trial in June. But it also depicts a previously undisclosed arbitration between the USSF and the U.S. men’s national team’s players association that is now in its 21st month.



In this arbitration, the players’ association alleges that the federation sold jerseys with the players’ names on them between roughly 2006 and 2017 while failing to pay licensing fees for trading on their names. The USSF quietly settled a similar arbitration brought by the women’s team’s players association in 2018, but the men are seeking a broader and more lucrative settlement.



“(The USSF) just swore that, ‘No, no, you know, we’re not selling player...