Australian women's football team are set to earn equal pay as their men counterparts for the first time under a new landmark deal. This is a big step towards gender equality as the women’s team will not only be paid the same as the men's football team but will also enjoy an equal split of the commercial revenues generated. The Football Federation Australia (FFA) said that they have been in talks with the players' union for some months but the negotiations are yet to be finalised. An official announcement is expected later this week. US Football Coach Gets Suspended After His Team Scores Too Many.

The national men’s team – Socceroos – have traditionally been paid more than their female counterparts – Matildas – and also earn a greater share of the commercial revenue. Matildas captain Sam Kerr told Channel Seven that she was excited about the possibility of equal pay. "Obviously it's a welcome investment into women's football and we're really excited about it," she said. "It hasn't been finalised so hopefully, we can get the deal over the edge, but yeah, it's exciting", Kerr added.

The pay disparity in professional football has been in the limelight since US women’s soccer team sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) alleging indiscrimination in pay and working conditions. During the world cup earlier this year, the Matildas reached the knockout phase of the competition only to be beaten by Norway on penalties, taking home $1 million for their efforts. The Socceroos, on the other hand, were unable to win any of their matches in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and finished last in their group but bagged $8 million for simply playing the group stages of the tournament.

Federation Football Australia's initiative in taking this much-needed step towards gender equality may inspire different sporting bodies around the world to do something similar. This deal would make the Matildas the world’s first female team to be guaranteed the same revenue as the men’s team.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 05, 2019 03:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).