Paying men and women equally for the same job is a worthwhile idea; it just won't work in international soccer.

That's the opinion of former Dutch national team captain Frank de Boer, who's now head coach of Major League Soccer champion Atlanta United.

In an interview with The Guardian published Tuesday, De Boer was asked about the issue in light of the Royal Dutch Football Association's recent commitment to equal pay for its men's and women's national teams by 2023.

“I think for me, it’s ridiculous,” De Boer said. “It’s the same like tennis. If there are watching, for the World Cup final, 500 million people or something like that, and 100 million for a women’s final, that’s a difference. So it’s not the same."

In March, 28 members of the U.S. Women's National Team filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, citing discrepancies in salaries, playing conditions and travel accommodations.

De Boer said he's in favor of equal pay in general, but in sports such as soccer and tennis, it's not feasible.

"If it’s just as popular as the men, they will get it, because the income and the advertising will go into that. But it’s not like that, so why do they have to earn the same?" he said. "I think it’s ridiculous. I don’t understand that.”