US Soccer Federation reaches deal with unions for equal compensation for men, women's teams

The U.S. Soccer Federation said Wednesday morning it has reached a deal with unions for its men's and women’s teams that will provide equal pay for the players. 

The deal makes the U.S. national governing body the first in the sport to promise both sexes matching money, according to the Associated Press.

The federation said the deal was struck with separate collective bargaining agreements through December 2028, ending years of often acrimonious negotiations.

The men have been playing under the terms of a CBA that expired in December 2018. The women's agreement expired at the end of March, but talks continued after the federation and the players agreed to settle a 2019 gender discrimination suit, the wire service reports.

The settlement was contingent on the federation also agreeing to labor contracts that also equalized bonuses between the two teams.