Wales women’s national team players will be paid the same as their male counterparts for the first time after the Football Association of Wales agreed to an equal pay deal, the association announced Tuesday.

The new contract will go into effect immediately and runs through the 2027 World Cup.

“Together Stronger has been the mantra across the Cymru national teams for us all, both on and off the pitch as we look to put Wales on the world stage,” the men’s and women’s national teams said in a joint statement.

“As part of the FAW’s strive towards equality, we are now proud to announce that together, our men’s and women’s teams have agreed to an equal pay structure for future international matches. We hope that this will allow future generations of boys and girls to see that there is equality across Welsh international football, which is important for society as a whole.”

Wales coach Gemma Grainger, who recently signed a contract that will keep her with the women’s national team through 2027, told BBC Sport Wales that the equal pay deal sends a powerful message.

“We want our players to embody Together Stronger, the collaboration with the men’s team is something we want to continue,” she told BBC Sport Wales. “Hopefully that collaboration will continue to grow. Equality and making sure what we have here is equal is so important to us. The women’s game is growing and will continue to grow.”

Wales are not the first to join the growing equal pay movement. The USWNT signed a landmark equal pay deal in May, and England, Brazil, Australia, Norway and New Zealand all have signed their own equal pay deals for international matches.

The Scotland women’s national team is taking legal action against the Scottish FA after its own equal pay talks fizzled out.

Jess Fishlock’s goal in extra time against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday helped send Wales to the World Cup playoff final, where they will face Switzerland on Tuesday for a chance to punch their ticket to the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“I think that was my best and most important Wales goal, probably both,” Fishlock, the 2021 NWSL MVP, told reporters after the game.

This is the first time Wales has reached a major finals, and Fishlock’s celebration was worthy of the moment.

After finding the back of the net with a volley, Fischlock, who plays her club soccer in the NWSL with the OL Reign, celebrated by outrunning her ecstatic teammates, sliding on her back and allowing them to join her in a dog pile.

“It is one of those moments you kind of dream of, and the celebration was epic. I didn’t even know what to do and I ended up sliding, which is not me,” she said. “It was pure emotion we have for each other and pure relief; don’t think I’ve felt something like that before to be honest.”

Then, Fishlock took to the stands. She ran up the stairs and was helped over a divider by spectators in order to embrace her partner and OL Reign teammate, Tziarra King, who had made the trip to support Fishlock.

“Idk, y’all might as well start calling me the King consort of Wales,” King joked on twitter, posting the video of her and Fishlock in the stands.

Fishlock thanked King with a tweet of her own, writing, “Thank you so much for flying over. your constant support for me is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. Now you know what the welsh are about. I love you.”

Fishlock’s win with Wales comes less than a week after she, King and OL Reign secured the NWSL Shield with a win over the Pride. It was their first Shield since 2015.