CHICAGO — Editor's note: The attached video above is from July 2019.
U.S. Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro announced he is stepping down after a discussion with the board of directors.
The announcement Thursday comes amid controversy after a gender discrimination lawsuit was filed by U.S. women's national team players, asking for $66 million in damages.
Cordeiro, who has volunteered with the federation for 13 years, tweeted his statement saying his only mission was to "do what is best for the federation."
His statement addressed the "offensive" language of the filings attorneys submitted to the court over the gender discrimination lawsuit. Reports claim it said players on the men's and women's national teams don't perform equal work.
The filings also argued that the World Cup is the only prize money tournament the women's team plays in, according to ESPN. There are more revenue-generating events for the men including Copa America and the Gold Cup. The Olympics does not have prize money.
Cordeiro said he "did not have the opportunity to fully review the filling in its entirety before it was submitted." He said he takes full responsibility for not reading it over.
The court filings were responses to motions for the judge to make a summary judgment instead of opting for a jury trial on May 5.
Cordeiro ends his statement saying, "I hope that our remarkable women's players are always treated with dignity, respect and admiration that they truly deserve."
The vice president of the federation, Cindy Parlow Cone, will serve as president as Cordeiro's resignation is effective immediately. Cone is a former American midfielder and she will be the first woman president in the history of the federation.
A night earlier, U.S. women wore their warmup jerseys inside-out to hide the federation crest during the national anthem before a game against Brazil.