But the fruits of victory won't be doled out equally, or fairly, warn sports marketing experts. Goal-scoring forwards Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach will get the lion's share of the endorsement dollars. Hope Solo, on the other hand, will be lucky to get any new deals given the domestic violence allegations that have swirled around her. Privately some marketers are referring to the 33-year old goalkeeper as the "Adrian Peterson" of U.S.. soccer.
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Everybody loves a winner. If this team beats Japan Sunday, they'll become the first U.S. women's squad to capture the World Cup since the Mia Hamm/Brandi Chastain team that captivated the nation in 1999. And the floodgates will open, especially for Morgan and Wambach, who recently landed an endorsement with LED lighting company Cree (See spot below).
"Those investing in an Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, or any member of the U.S. Women's National Team understand that women control 70-80% of household spending," said Jared Augustine, chief executive officer of Thuzio in New York, which matches marketers with sports talent. "They also understand that there are 1.5 million young girls playing soccer in the United States."
Even better for marketers is the chance to get in on the ground floor with young stars who will likely play on the international stage for years to come.
The 34-year old Wambach says this is her last World Cup. But Morgan (who turned 26 years old July 2) could play in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympics as well as the 2019 and 2023 FIFA World Cups, noted Bob Dorfman, executive creative director of Baker Street Advertising. Signing one of the team's younger stars like Morgan, 25-year old Syndey Leroux or 23-year old Julie Johnston represents both a short term and a long-term marketing play.
"They're a pretty solid investment. With one exception, they're all pretty fine, upstanding citizens. Obviously, Hope Solo would be that exception," said Dorfman. "It's kind of unfortunate where she's sitting. She could really cash in — if she didn't have all this personal baggage."
When it comes to off-the-field earnings potential, there's Morgan and her signature pink headband, then everybody else, say experts.
Going into Sunday's Women's World Cup Final (FOX Sports, 7 p.m. ET), Morgan has become the new Mia Hamm. The California native is even beginning to rival the biggest male sports stars when it comes to endorsements.
Morgan (who boasts more than 4.5 million social media followers across Twitter, Facebook and Intstagram) already has over a dozen corporate sponsors, including Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, EA Sports, Panasonic, Nationwide and Dick's Sporting Goods, according to Thuzio.
That's more than any America soccer star, male or female, including Wambach, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. It's ahead of global footballers Lionel Messi of Argentina and David Beckham of England — and only slightly behind Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
Compared to other pro stars, Morgan has more current deals than MLB's David Ortiz and NFL's Peyton Manning and Tom Brady but still trails the NBA's LeBron James and Kevin Durant, according to Thuzio 360 research. She's the natural successor to Hamm. In one of her first spots for Nike, she recalls how she was inspired by the '99 team.
Said Augustine: "We're talking about major brands like Coca-Cola, Nike, McDonald's, Beats and Panasonic and mega-names like LeBron, Durant, Manning and Brady. That's the type of commercial appeal she has right now."
Want more proof? Take a look at the estimated paydays the top stars would fetch for a two-hour personal appearance. Thuzio's "Projected Retail Pricing" estimates it will cost you $50,000 to have Morgan make an appearance, up from $30,000 at the start of the World Cup. That $50,000 figure is the same as Hamm and Howard — but more than Donovan and Clint Dempsey (both $30,000).
How about the other U.S. women's soccer stars? Wambach is the second most-expensive at $40,000. And Carli Lloyd, who drilled the game-winner against Germany? Try $15,000. In fact, the only current female soccer star who comes close to Morgan/Wambach is Brazil's Marta, who would fetch an estimated $20,000. Morgan's not yet in the same ballpark as Messi, Ronaldo or Beckham who would cost a projected $250,000. But she's getting there.
Michael Neuman, managing partner of Horizon Media's Scout Sports and Entertainment, has an interesting idea on how some of the lesser-known players can cash in on the team's success. He'd like to see a sponsor like Procter & Gamble, that sells a wide array of women's products, offer a "favored nations"-type deal, where the whole team benefits. That would be a great reward for players who otherwise get overlooked by marketers.
"Unfortunately, there's a disparity between the have's and have-not. But I think there's a great opportunity here. It would be really interesting to see a brand step up and do something in that format," said Neuman.
With a record 8.4 million viewers tuning in for Team USA's 2-0 win over Germany Monday night, FOX says it was the third most-watched women's soccer match of all time behind only the USA-China 1999 Final and the Japan-USA 2011 Final.
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