Football Australia and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) have announced a four-year National Teams Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for the Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas.
The new CBA arrives after the international triumphs of the Socceroos and then the Matildas, where we will see changes to the revenue-share model, Youth National Team investment, player welfare – and in addition, the introduction of past player programs.
The CBA will last during the AFC AFC Asian Cups 2023 and 2027, Paris 2024 Olympics, AFC Women’s Asian Women’s Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.
Major highlights of the agreement include:
- Enhanced revenue sharing between Football Australia and the players through a world leading economic model;
- Strengthened commercial partnership between the players and Football Australia to drive further investment into the continued growth of Australian football;
- CommBank Matildas’ player payments to transition immediately from centralised contracts to match and commercial payments;
- Preservation of the gender equality model to ensure players continue to receive equal pay, employment and high-performance standards;
- Enhanced parental policy provisions;
- A commitment to develop a Football Australia human rights policy and development of joint player and Football Australia community impact investments via the PFA’s Footballers’ Trust; and
- Establishment of a PFA – Football Australia CBA Committee to further strengthen the partnership, focused on expanding commercial opportunities, boosting the national team brands, and elevating high performance standards.
Football Australia’s CEO, James Johnson, voiced his excitement about the new agreement, stating:
“The new CBA represents a sophisticated economic model that rewards our players in tandem with the growth and commercial success of our national teams. It’s a model that ensures as we scale new heights commercially, and our players will share in the fruits of these triumphs — a true testament to our shared goals and values.
“Football Australia has enjoyed remarkable growth in the last few years and this agreement is positioned to drive our progress even further forward. By incentivising our players to promote further growth we will be able to create new opportunities for generating revenue and unlocking value which was not previously available to us under the old structure. Through this new structure, we have been able to build in the possibility for innovative opportunities to respond to a dynamic and ever-changing landscape.”
“This agreement is more than a contract; it’s a commitment to progress and a promise that as our revenue base flourishes, so will the opportunities and rewards for our players, making them key contributors in our game’s prosperity. Our aim is clear: to continue growing the game of Australian football hand in hand with those who bring it to life on the pitch.”
“I am proud to say that this CBA is a landmark not just for Football Australia, but for sports organisations worldwide. It sets a new standard for how players and national associations can work together to achieve common objectives.
“The spirit of cooperation with the PFA and our players has been exceptional, and our shared ambition for our national teams to excel at the highest international levels is stronger than ever. We look forward to the continued growth of Australian football through collective achievements and successes.”
PFA co-Chief Executive and former Matildas’ captain Kathryn Gill reflected on the inaugural CBA till now:
“Since the first Socceroos’ CBA in 1997 and Matildas in 2010, our national team agreements have laid the foundations for the international success Australia has enjoyed across the past 25 years.
“In partnership with Football Australia, we have a framework to ensure we capitalise on the growth and popularity of our players and national teams across the next four years and further incentivise performance on the global stage.
“We thank Football Australia for the spirit of collaboration that has defined these negotiations and the contribution of over 40 national team players who were so actively involved.”
PFA President and current Subway Socceroo Jackson Irvine spoke on behalf of the players with the impact of this deal:
“From the outset of these negotiations, our ambition was to set up the game for more success, but we also wanted to ensure that we leave the game in a better place for those who follow us.
“This agreement will ensure that our National Team players have everything they need to excel on the pitch, a more robust partnership that can strengthen the game and, importantly, allow us to have more impact off the pitch than ever before.
“The current generation of players are deeply grateful for those players who came before us and who fought to guarantee the conditions we enjoy today.”
For a full Facts Sheet on the 2023-2027 Collective Bargaining Agreement, you can view it here.
