The United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) is undisputedly the most decorated team in the short history of the women’s game. Currently ranked first on the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) official team rankings, the USWNT earned another Women’s World Cup championship in Canada last summer, where they won the final match against Japan with a decisive victory of 5-2.  The team celebrated by becoming the first women’s sports team honored with their own ticker tape parade following the Canyon of Heroes, in New York City. They also had their own live Snapchat story where fans could follow their journey down the parade route. The USWNT captured media attention again by dancing on stage with pop star Taylor Swift, becoming playable characters in the FIFA 2016 video game and visiting President Obama at the White House. However, despite the team’s unparalleled success, the world’s governing soccer bodies have failed to uphold the respect the USWNT deserve.

The first alarming sign of gender inequality lies in prize money. The United States (U.S.) Women’s National Team received $2 million from FIFA, double the amount the Japanese champion team received at the same tournament held in 2011. Yet on the men’s side in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the winning German team received $35 million. Instead of 77 cents on the dollar, these figures amount to just under six cents per dollar. To make matters worse, the U.S. Men’s National Team was eliminated in the Round of 16, winning just one game in the group stage, and it still made $8 million, four times more than the winning women’s team.

The most obvious indication of subpar treatment can be found by literally scratching the surface. During the second half of 2015, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team celebrated their World Cup win with a Victory Tour of international friendlies hosted in cities across the country. Unfortunately, only nine of the 10 games planned were played, as the Dec. 6 friendly against Trinidad and Tobago was cancelled the night before. The reason for this last minute cancellation was the low-grade and aging artificial turf of the venue, Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. Playing on artificial turf is significantly more dangerous to player safety than natural grass, with an increased risk of injuries, turf burns and exhaustion.

Game organizers must realize that playing on grass should not be seen as a luxury for the women, but a standard. In 2015, the USWNT played 14 of their last 16 games on artificial grass, whereas the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) did not play a single game on turf. That would be justifiable if the USMNT was a decent team. Although the women had a 104 home-undefeated streak under their belts, the men were winless in their last six games of 2015.

With all the controversy aside, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics after competing in a regional tournament held in Dallas and Houston. They look to win another gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this August and become the first women’s soccer team to defend their World Cup championship at the Olympics the following year.

Unlike the Golden State Warriors, Kansas City Royals and the New England Patriots, who only attract limited regional attention, the USWNT has the potential to inspire an audience on a greater national scale. Hopefully, one day they will finally break the glass ceiling, or in this case, the grass ceiling, but that is only possible if they get to play on it first.