A dispute over equal pay for the US women’s national football team has been escalated after 28 players from the current pool filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation.

According to the New York Times, the players filed the lawsuit at the United States District Court in Los Angeles.

It alleges that the women’s team, the current world champions, have been subjected to “institutionalised gender discrimination” by the national governing body.

Players on the women’s squad, who are some of the most recognizable players in the world, believe they should be given the same money as their male counterparts as they have the same job responsibilities.

Some believe their argument is strengthened by the fact the women’s side are far more successful than the men’s team, which failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup in Russia.

The filing of the class-action lawsuit comes just three months before the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France.

It also follows five players filing a federal wage discrimination complaint against U.S Soccer prior to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup, meanwhile, gets underway on June 7 and concludes on July 7.

The United States are in Group F alongside Thailand, Chile and Sweden.

Jamaica’s Reggae Girls, who have also qualified, were drawn in Group C with Brazil, Italy and Australia.