The U.S. Soccer Federation reached milestone agreements to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally, making the American national governing body the first in the sport to promise both sexes matching money.

The federation on Wednesday announced separate collective bargaining agreements through December 2028 with the unions for both national teams, ending years of often acrimonious negotiations.

The deals grew partly out of a push by players on the more successful women’s team, including stars like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, who were at the forefront of the gender equity fight while leading the team to a Women’s World Cup championship in 2019. The struggle became so much a part of the team’s story that chants of “Equal pay! Equal pay!” rose from the crowd as U.S. players celebrated winning the title in France.

Morgan and Rapinoe could still be beneficiaries of the deal, though the next Women’s World Cup is in 2023 and the makeup of the team will have changed by then.

“I feel a lot of pride for the girls who are going to see this growing up, and recognize their value rather than having to fight for it. However, my dad always told me that you don’t get rewarded for doing what you’re supposed to do — and paying men and women equally is what you’re supposed to do,” U.S. forward Margaret Purce said. “So I’m not giving out any gold stars, but I’m grateful for this accomplishment and for all the people who came together to make it so.”

Perhaps the biggest sticking point was World Cup prize money, which is based on how far a team advances in the tournament. While the U.S. women have been successful on the international stage with back-to-back World Cup titles, differences in FIFA prize money meant they took home far less than the men’s winners. American women received a $110,000 bonus for winning the 2019 World Cup; the U.S. men would have received $407,000 had they won in 2018.

The federation previously based bonuses on payments from FIFA, which earmarked $400 million for the 2018 men’s tournament, including $38 million to champion France, and $30 million for the 2019 women’s tournament, including $4 million to the champion United States.

FIFA has increased the total to $440 million for the 2022 men’s World Cup, and its president, Gianni Infantino, has proposed that FIFA double the women’s prize money to $60 million for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, in which FIFA has increased the number of teams to 32.

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FILE – Former members and members of the U.S. Women’s National soccer team, from left, Briana Scurry, Margaret ‘Midge’ Purce, Kelley O’Hara, Julie Foudy, and Cindy Parlow Cone, President of U.S. Soccer, pose for a photo with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., before an event to celebrate Equal Pay Day and Women’s History Month in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Soccer Federation reached milestone agreements to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally, making the American national governing body the first in the sport to promise both sexes matching money. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2022/05/web1_128867806-dc52fd9a56604ad5b3a58fe433d41a6f.jpgFILE – Former members and members of the U.S. Women’s National soccer team, from left, Briana Scurry, Margaret ‘Midge’ Purce, Kelley O’Hara, Julie Foudy, and Cindy Parlow Cone, President of U.S. Soccer, pose for a photo with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., before an event to celebrate Equal Pay Day and Women’s History Month in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in Washington. The U.S. Soccer Federation reached milestone agreements to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally, making the American national governing body the first in the sport to promise both sexes matching money. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Soccer player Megan Rapinoe waves to the crowd during the second quarter of a WNBA basketball game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Seattle Storm on Friday, May 6, 2022, in Seattle. Rapinoe’s fiancee, Sue Bird, plays for the Storm. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2022/05/web1_128867806-798dea24f52941418fd0146c281be6cc.jpgSoccer player Megan Rapinoe waves to the crowd during the second quarter of a WNBA basketball game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Seattle Storm on Friday, May 6, 2022, in Seattle. Rapinoe’s fiancee, Sue Bird, plays for the Storm. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)