With the 2023 Women’s World Cup just around the corner, players and teams have received a welcome boost from FIFA.
After dishing out a record sum of prize money at the 2022 Men’s World Cup, football’s governing body has agreed to increase the earnings on offer at the women’s tournament to be played in July this year.
While still well short of what male teams can win, the increase is significant as FIFA eye equality pay by 2027.
The Sporting News breaks down the change and prize money differences below.
FIFA have confirmed there will be $110 million (£91m/AU$165m) in prize money up for grabs for teams at the 2023 Women’s World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand.
This is a significant increase upon the originally reported $60m and three times more than the $30m on offer in 2019.
On top of the $110m, a further $30m has been allocated to preparation and $11m to clubs with players involved at the Women’s World Cup.
It’s currently unclear how exactly prize money for the 2023 tournament will be distributed, but at Qatar 2022, winners Argentina pocketed just under a tenth of the total prize money provided by FIFA.
While the 2023 Women’s World Cup has welcomed a healthy boost in prize money, it still pales in comparison to what was on offer for men at the 2022 World Cup.
FIFA provided $440 million in prize money for the Qatar tournament – four times more than what the women are fighting for in 2023.
Despite the current gender gap, FIFA president Gianni Infantino hopes to close it completely by the 2027 Women’s World Cup with the latest prize money increase part of a three-step plan for equality.
“FIFA is stepping up, but unfortunately this is not the case for everyone across the industry,” Infantino said.
“Broadcasters and sponsors have to do more in this respect, for FIFA, for the confederations, for the member associations, for everyone. FIFA is receiving between 10 and 100 times inferior offers for the Women’s World Cup than for the Men’s World Cup.
“The news I have for those broadcasters or sponsors who don’t want to offer similar amounts than for the men’s World Cup is simply that we’re not going to sell women’s football and a Women’s World Cup at these prices.”
Despite being held since 1991, it was only in 2007 that the Women’s World Cup was allocated a set amount of prize money.
Thankfully, since then, the amount FIFA has allocated has risen rapidly as women’s football itself grows on and off the pitch. (SportingNews)