The United States women's national football team has launched a legal challenge to secure equal pay with their male counterparts.

Five of the country's star players – Carli Lloyd, Becky Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan – have filed a wage discrimination federal complaint against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

Lloyd, who scored a hat-trick to inspire the States to victory over Japan in last year's World Cup final, told ABC: "I think the timing is right. I think that we've proven our worth over the years.

"Just coming off of a World Cup win, the pay disparity between the men and women is just too large. And we want to continue to fight."

Goalkeeper Solo, meanwhile, said in a statement: "The numbers speak for themselves. We are the best in the world, have three World Cup championships, four Olympic championships, and the USMNT get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships."

The men's national team have only got past the round of 16 at the World Cup once since finishing third in the first World Cup in 1930.