2019 FIFA Women's World Cup: Champions USA welcomed home with parade

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Women's World Cup champions, the USA gathered at City Hall in New York on Wednesday for a special parade after winning their 4th world title. Mayor Bill de Blasio gave the players keys to the city as they were honored in front of the large crowds. CGTN 's Liling Tan has more.

Of course, team captains Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan on the left with the trophy drew the loudest cheers as their float glided down Canyon of Heroes on Broadway.

"Morgan!" "Rapinoe!" "Lavelle!" "Alex Morgan!"

This parade of champions sees the U.S. national women's soccer team celebrating their FOURTH World Cup Win with their biggest fans, many of them arriving HOURS ahead of the parade.

"We stayed over last night!"

"Oh 3 in the morning, we got up, we took the ferry and got over. It's been a long day."

But this is a victory parade in more ways than one, for a team that's stirring things up on and off the field.

LILING TAN NEW YORK "Apart from their FOUR world cups wins, the U.S. women's soccer team has also made headlines beyond the football realm into social and political discourse from Rapinoe's public feud with president Trump to the team's legal fight for equal pay."

Rapinoe famously said she would turn down an invite to the White House, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to tweet that Megan should "WIN first before she talks. Finish the job!" Well, now that the team has finished the job and taken home the prize, it's unclear if an invite has come.

The women's national soccer team is also suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for pay discrimination, alleging players on the U.S. women's team earn just a fraction of what players on the U.S. men's team make.

"They work so hard, they bring so much honour to our country, fantastic athletes. No one does what they do. They deserve to get paid what everyone else gets paid. They earned it."

"The things they've done both in the arena and outside of it have just been incredible and inspirational not only for women but all people."

"They worked hard for it so they deserve it."

Taking a stand on and off the field has helped the team win fans stateside, but also raised the profile of women's soccer in Europe and South America, which have traditionally been preoccupied with men's soccer. And that makes the victory so much sweeter. Liling Tan, CGTN, New York.