England men’s and women’s teams paid equally since start of 2020, FA confirms

The Football Association has confirmed that it moved to give the Lionesses equal pay to their male counterparts at the start of the year, ensuring that international players are rewarded with the same salary regardless of gender.

The Brazilian Football Association made a similar announcement on Wednesday to confirm that the likes of six-time Fifa World Player of the Year Marta would be paid the same match fees as the men’s side, which includes Neymar and Liverpool trio Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino. Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Rogerio Caboclo confirmed that the introduction of equal pay across the two genders was introduced in March, when Brazil competed in the inaugural Tournoi de France.

Having seen the announcement gain traction on Wednesday evening for what was deemed a groundbreaking decision, the English FA was approached to enquire whether they had plans to do the same. But a spokesperson for the governing body confirmed that a change was made in January this year to ensure that those among Phil Neville’s England squad are paid the same as the players who make up Gareth Southgate’s senior men’s side.

A statement read: "The FA pays its women's players exactly the same as their male counterparts for representing England, both in terms of match fees and match bonuses. This parity has been in place since January 2020."

Australia, Norway and New Zealand have all made similar changes to their pay structure, but the development follows an ongoing dispute in the United States, where the world champion women’s side took the US Soccer Federation to court over the failure to implement equal pay.

A federal judge ruled against the female players in May in their efforts to be paid the same as the men’s side, though the team has confirmed it intends to appeal the verdict after being denied more than $66m (£49m) in damages.

“One way or another, we intend to appeal the court's decision which does not account for the central fact in this case that women players have been paid at lesser rates than men who do the same job,” said Molly Levinson, a spokeswoman for the players.

“Tonight's ruling simply means that an appeal may take longer to file and is a reminder that we must not give up our efforts both on and off the field to fight injustice. Though we face significant challenges, we are strengthened by the reality that our effort is one part of the greater movement for equality happening in our country right now.”