England men and women paid the same match fees since January

England men’s and women’s senior players have been paid the same match fee for representing their country since January 2020, the Football Association has announced.

Brazil on Wednesday joined Australia, Norway and New Zealand on the list of football associations who had publicly committed to paying their men and women players the same amount for earning a senior cap.

But the FA had already quietly implemented pay equality, meaning players representing Phil Neville’s women’s team will each receive the same match fee as those turning out for Gareth Southgate’s men’s side when playing international games.

A statement from the FA to the PA news agency 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.”

Equal pay has been a hot topic in football, with women’s world champions the United States having filed an appeal against the decision to dismiss their claim for equal pay with male counterparts.

US forward Megan Rapinoe said her team-mates would “never stop fighting for equality”.