Equal pay for men and women footballers in historic deal with Football Association of Wales

The new deal will last for at least four years, covering the period up to and including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Credit: PA

Wales' men's and woman's football teams will be paid the same for the first time ever after the Football Association of Wales announced the historic deal.

The FAW reached an agreement with the Cymru Men's and Women's National teams to achieve equal pay for at least four years.

A joint statement from both teams said: "We hope that this will allow future generations of boys and girls to see that there is equality across Welsh international football."

The new deal will last for at least four years, covering the period up to and including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The landmark agreement marks the first time Cymru's men and women will earn the same amount when representing their country.

They will also receive the same percentage of prize money distributed by UEFA and FIFA at major competitions.

Both teams will receive the same percentage of prize money distributed by UEFA and FIFA at major competitions. Credit: PA

Noel Mooney, CEO of the FAW thanked both cohorts of internationals for their "brilliant cooperation."

He said: “The FAW is a modern, progressive movement that seeks to improve each day.

"This is another step towards becoming one of the world’s great sports organisations and we thank both the men’s and women’s squads for their brilliant co-operation in getting this agreed.”

In 2021, Wales' most-capped footballer, Jess Fishlock called out the "unacceptable" pay difference between the men and women. Credit: PA

Discussions around equal pay for the men's and women's teams have been ongoing for some time. In 2021, Wales' most-capped footballer, Jess Fishlock called out the "unacceptable" pay difference between the men and women.

Conversations around equal pay within football have increased in recent times. Last month, Scotland's female internationals launched legal action against the Scottish Football Association over equal pay and treatment claims.

Wales’ new deal means they join England, USA, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada and Sweden, who already announced similar equal pay arrangements within their respective FAs.

The Cymru national men’s and women’s teams released a joint statement in response to the "important" announcement:

“Together Stronger has been the mantra across the Cymru National Teams for us all, both on and off the pitch as we look to put Wales on the world stage.

"As part of the FAW’s strive towards equality, we are now proud to announce that together, our men’s and women’s teams have agreed to an equal pay structure for future international matches, which is important for society as a whole.

"With this agreement in place, we will now look ahead to the UEFA EURO 2024 and 2025 qualifying campaigns, as we aim to see further success across both our senior teams in the near future.”