This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 6, 2019, Football Federation Australia announced a major breakthrough in gender equality in sports, unveiling a deal that would see women footballers earning the same as their male counterparts.
The new centralised contract system, which was announced by FFA chairman Chris Nikou, will see Matildas stars such as Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter pocketing the same as big-name Socceroos like Aaron Mooy and Mat Ryan.
Under the four-year deal, the Socceroos and Matildas will receive a 24 percent share of national team revenues, rising by one percent each year. This means that the better they do, the more they get paid.
From the amount they receive, the players have committed to ploughing back five percent into Australian youth national teams, guaranteeing a minimum level of investment for future generations.
The deal also includes a boost in how much players get from prize money earned on qualifying for a World Cup, which rises from 30 percent to 40 percent.
This follows a more general deal struck earlier this year that will see all professional female footballers in Australia receive the same minimum wage as their male counterparts.
Professional Footballers Australia chief John Didulica hailed the agreement as "a unique deal in world football".
"We believe it sets the model for where all federations and players - male and female - can take the game to unlock the incredible social and commercial opportunity that, in particular, women's football presents," he said.
