Brazil coach Pia Sundhage called up Pardal for the first time yesterday. The little-known, uncapped defender will earn the same during a forthcoming training camp as global megastar Neymar will receive when he is next on international duty.

“Since March of this year, the CBF has equalled the values of the daily rates and bonuses between men’s and women’s football,” said CBF president Rogerio Caboclo. “That is, the women’s players will receive the same as the men’s players during international call-ups.

“What the men receive as a daily rate for being on international duty, the women will receive. What they will earn for a triumph or for passing stages at the Olympics next year will be the same as the men.”

The process of adopting equal pay began earlier this year. Indeed Formiga, Andressa Alves, Marta, Cristiane and Co earned the same daily rate during the Tournoi de France in March as Alisson, Thiago Silva, Casemiro, Firmino and team-mates did when they were last on Brazil duty.

"There is no more gender difference, the CBF is treating men and women equally," declared Caboclo.

The CBF also announced not one, but two further major steps for Brazilian women’s football. Marco Aurelio Cunha left his role as Team Manager of the women’s Seleção in June. The position will now be occupied by a female for the first time: Duda Luizelli, a former Brazil international who has spent 36 years working in women’s football.

And in a newly-created role, Head of Competitions, comes Aline Pellegrino. Shortly after retiring, the former defender and Brazil captain participated last November in the Women in Football Leadership Programme, a joint initiative by FIFA, UEFA and the IMD Business School aimed at empowering women to assume leadership positions all over the world.

“Starting today, Brazilian women’s football is in the hands of those who have always worked with the ball, on and off the field,” said Caboclo. “People who won their own space for doing everything they could to while playing and working to be here as leaders.”

Duda commented: “When the President said that the CBF’s objective was total support for women’s football and that he would like to make [Brazilian women’s football] the best in the world, my eyes lit up and I saw that I was the person to be here. I want to contribute in search of this goal. Now it’s hard work.”

"I hope that I am a link between clubs, players, federations and the confederation, because we are within the hierarchy of this process,” said Aline. “I arrive with the objective of mediating between them, for the development of women's football in Brazil.”

"I am so happy for Aline,” said Sarai Bareman,” FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer. “She has already made a massive contribution to the game both as a player, and in her role with the Sao Paulo Football Federation, so to be able to extend that impact to a national level in Brazil with the CBF is a fantastic next step.

“Her participation in our Women in Football Leadership Programme last year has given her a wonderful boost in her leadership and networking skills, and I can’t wait to see this put into action in her new role.”

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