The US is the only World Cup country without paid maternity leave. Here’s what working moms are missing

That’s right, the U.S. is the only Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nation and the only 2026 World Cup qualifier without a national law requiring employers to offer new mothers paid leave to spend time with their newborns or adopted children, as well as recover from nine months of pregnancy, childbirth and the hormonal upheaval that often follows.

In fact, it’s one of only six countries in the world without a national paid parental leave policy.

What leave can new working moms in the U.S. expect?

While few states have enacted their own mandates (only 14 of which are paid), federal protection is limited to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave.

And it’s not actually available to just anyone. Employees are only eligible for FMLA leave if they have worked for at least 1,250 hours over at least 12 months for a company that employs at least 50 people within 75 miles.

Some new parents also purchase short-term disability insurance to temporarily replace about 40% to 70% of their base salary for three to six months, though it’s not a federally mandated benefit. It typically covers the medical recovery period for people who were pregnant, not those who have adopted, and it does not cover bonding time beyond that.

Meanwhile, the other 47 countries that have played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup do offer some variation of paid maternity or parental leave.

Here’s what American moms are missing.

FIFA World Cup countries’ maternity leave policies

1. Algeria: 100% of a mother’s salary for up to five months (150 days), with the possibility of an extension of up to 165 more days
2. Argentina: 90 days of fully paid maternity leave through social security
3. Australia: Up to 12 months of unpaid job-protected leave for pregnant employees, plus government-funded paid parental leave of 24 weeks at the national minimum wage
4. Austria: 16 weeks of maternity leave, paid at full earnings through social insurance; freelancers, self-employed women and unemployed women also receive maternity leave payment
5. Belgium: 15 weeks of maternity leave, including pre-natal leave of six weeks and post-natal leave of nine weeks
6. Bosnia and Herzegovina: One year (365 days) of partial or full wage replacement
7. Brazil: 120 days of fully paid leave, with the possibility of an extension to 180 days
8. Canada: 15 weeks of maternity benefits paid through the federal Employment Insurance (EI) program, plus up to 35 weeks of shared parental benefits offering 55% and the possibility to extend
9. Cape Verde: 60 consecutive days of paid, job-protected maternity leave at 80% of their salary from social security; if ineligible, the employer must cover full pay
10. Colombia: 18 weeks of fully paid maternity leave
11. Croatia: 98 days of paid leave, including 28 days before childbirth and 70 days after, at 100% of their average salary from the last six months of employment, covered by the Croatian Health Insurance Fund
12. Curaçao: 14 weeks of paid maternity leave under labor law
13. Czechia: 28 weeks of maternity leave (or 37 weeks for twins, triplets, etc.) at 70%
14. Democratic Republic of Congo: 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, including weeks before childbirth and eight weeks following it
15. Ecuador: 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, including two weeks before birth and 10 weeks after birth, funded 75% through social security and 25% through the employer; plus 10 extra days for additional births and nine months of shortened working days
16. Egypt: Up to four months of fully paid maternity leave, paid 75% through social security and 25% by the employer
17. England: Up to 52 weeks of leave, 39 of which are paid, including 90% of earnings for the first six weeks and then a statutory rate for the remaining 33
18. France: 16 weeks of maternity leave with the possibility of an extension for additional children, paid through social security
19. Germany: 14 weeks of maternity leave, including six weeks before birth and eight weeks after birth, with extensions for premature babies and multiple births
20. Ghana: 12 weeks of fully paid maternity leave, with additional time in some circumstances
21. Haiti: 12 weeks of maternity leave, typically paid in full
22. Iran: At least two-thirds of pay for at least 14 weeks
23. Iraq: At least 14 weeks and up to nine months (for multiple or complicated births) of paid maternity leave under labor law
24. Ivory Coast: 14 weeks of paid maternity leave funded through social insurance
25. Japan: 14 weeks of maternity leave, with benefits generally replacing about two-thirds of wages through social security
26. Jordan: Fully employer-paid maternity leave for 90 consecutive days, at least six weeks of which must be taken after delivery
27. Mexico: 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, usually split before and after birth, with an extra two weeks for mothers whose babies were born with a disability or require additional care
28. Morocco: 14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave funded through social insurance, capped at 6,000 MAD
29. Netherlands: At least 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, with benefits replacing most earnings up to a maximum of €297,82 per day
30. New Zealand: Up to 26 weeks of government-paid parental leave for eligible parents
31. Norway: 12 weeks of maternity leave at full pay through social security
32. Panama: 14 weeks of paid maternity leave for those who’ve made nine social security contributions in the 12 months before the seventh month of pregnancy
33. Paraguay: 18 weeks of paid maternity leave, including six extra weeks for illness during pregnancy or delivery and an additional 30 days per child for multiple births; adoptive mothers receive 18 weeks of leave for children under six months and 12 weeks for older children
34. Portugal: 42 days with the possibility of extending up to 72 days; plus up to 30 optional days before birth that count toward a total of 120 or 150 days, which includes parental leave that can be taken by one of the parents or divided between both
35. Qatar: Around 50 days of paid maternity leave for eligible employees
36. Saudi Arabia: 12 weeks of paid leave, with pay depending on length of service
37. Scotland: Up to 52 weeks of leave, 39 of which are paid, including 90% of earnings for the first six weeks and then a statutory rate for the remaining 33
38. Senegal: Around 14 weeks of paid maternity leave funded through social insurance
39. South Africa: Four months of unpaid employer maternity leave, but employees who have contributed to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) for at least 13 weeks are entitled to claim maternity benefits that provide income replacement of up to 60% of their average earnings for a maximum duration of 121 days
40. South Korea: 90 days of paid maternity leave, with the government reimbursing many employers
41. Spain: 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave, plus an additional two weeks for mothers of babies born with disabilities and for mothers of twins or triplets
42. Sweden: Parents share 480 days of gender-neutral parental leave (including 90 days of non-transferable days per parent), 390 days of which are paid at 80% of earnings up to a capped amount; a flat rate of 180 SEK per day pays the remainder
43. Switzerland: 14 weeks of leave paid at 80% of earnings up to CHF 220 per day
44. Tunisia: 30 days of paid leave for private employees; longer leave is available in some sectors
45. Turkey: 24 weeks of leave, including eight weeks before delivery and 16 weeks after delivery, paid at 66.7% of their average daily earnings through social security
46. Uruguay: 14 weeks of paid maternity leave through social security
47. Uzbekistan: 126 days of fully paid maternity leave, including 70 days before birth and 56 days after (or 70 days after for multiple or complicated births)