The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the English Football Association (FA) announced recently that their women’s national teams will receive the same pay as their male counterparts. “There is no more gender difference, the CBF is treating men and women equally,” the Brazilian Football Confederation chief Rogerio Caboclo said in a statement. “The CBF has equalled the prize money and allowances between men’s and women’s football, which means the women players will earn the same as the men,” he said.

This also means that Brazil’s female players such as Marta, Formiga and Leticia Santos will receive the same fees and allowances as global superstars such as Neymar, Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino. Australia, Norway and New Zealand are among the nations who had earlier decided to pay their men and women the same amount. The Brazilian men’s football team is regarded as one of the powerhouses in the sport after winning the World Cup a record five times. The women’s team finished runners-up in World Cup 2007 and won Olympic silvers in 2004 and 2008.

“Since March of this year, CBF has made an equal value in terms of prizes and daily rates between men’s and women’s football. That’s to say, the players earn the same as those who are called up [to the national team],” CBF chief Rogerio Caboclo said. “Women will receive the same daily rate as those who already receive them. The women’s team that wins or progresses through the stages at next year’s Olympic Games will receive the same as the men.” “What the men will receive at the next World Cup (2022) will be proportionately equal to what is proposed by FIFA, the CBF is treating men and women equally,” Caboclo added.

The topic of equal pay came under the spotlight last year when the United States’ women’s team made allegations over gender discrimination in earnings and working conditions. In March 2019, the US women’s team, the current world champions, sued their federation alleging discrimination over pay and conditions. A judge dismissed their case in May this year but the team appealed. Brazil’s football association CBF said its decision was communicated to the women’s team and their Swedish coach Pia Sundhage in March.