Denmark’s male footballers reject pay raise for gender pay equality

Denmark’s male football players have opted out of a pay raise for their national team roles, choosing instead to support achieving equal base pay for their female counterparts, according to the players’ union on Friday.

Union spokesperson Magnus Hviid informed AFP that the men’s team declined a salary increase to better the conditions for the women’s team. He described the move as “an extraordinary measure” toward progress in gender equality within national teams, but noted that further efforts are needed to completely eliminate disparities.

As a result of this decision, both the women’s and men’s national teams now receive the same basic salary and improved insurance coverage for the women’s team. The agreement, finalized at the end of May, also ensures that match bonuses are the same for men and women during international away games.

However, a current lack of bonuses for home games still leads to a pay gap between the two teams. In response, the Danish football federation (DBU) and the union plan to resume negotiations for a new contract for the women’s team after the summer.

Meanwhile, Denmark’s national team is actively competing in Euro 2024, where they are currently tied for second place in Group C following draws with England and Slovenia.