Currently, the men's national team players are remunerated from a pot containing around 6.55 million kroner (761,000 dollars) – over twice as much as the 3.1 million kroner allocated to the women's team. But when the new deal comes into force early next year, both pots will be worth six million kroner.

"The timing is good," said women's international Ingrid Moe Wold, welcoming the announcement. "Better conditions make it easier for us to focus on training and football."

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Caroline Graham Nansen, who plays her football for last season's German double-winners VfL Wolfsburg, took to Instagram to post: "It means everything for us, for our team, for our sport!"

To help fund the increased women's allocation, Norway's men's team agreed to transfer 550,000 kroner from their own pot.

"Compared to the women, we men have been very privileged, so it wasn't a difficult decision," said Stefan Johansen, the men's team captain, in a statement. "We don't play for the national team because of the money."

"It might have been a small thing for you but it's a huge step for women's football," added Hansen.

According to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, the new deal brings football into line with compensation paid by the country's other sports associations. An NRK survey revealed that both male and female biathlon athletes receive equal compensation while women ice hockey players actually receive more – but only because many of their male counterparts are paid higher salaries at club level.

Cross-country skiers' compensation is paid partly based on individual results in a model devised by the athletes themselves.

mf/mp (dpa)