FIFA Women’s World Cup prize money increases 300%, but still far behind men’s

The Women’s World Cup increased prize money by more than 300 percent for this year’s tournament.

The US$152 million fund for the first 32-team tournament – which includes prize money, team preparation and payments to players’ clubs – is a big boost from the 24-team edition in 2019, and the 10th in 2015.

Some $110 million in pure prize money should be dedicated to pay the players, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in Rwanda after being re-elected by acclamation through 2027.

Players’ union FIFPRO said on Thursday it had challenged FIFA to secure a “global guarantee of at least 30 percent of prize money” paid to players.

A controversial sponsorship proposal

FIFA also said the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will not be sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s tourism authority. Talk of a deal can cause discomfort between players and tournament hosts.

Infantino called the dispute a “storm in a teacup” and said extending the Saudi Visit agreement, which began at the men’s World Cup in Qatar, was a discussion that “did not lead to a contract.”

“There is a double standard here that I really don’t understand,” the FIFA president said, directing criticism at critics of the deal.

Football Federation Australia said in a statement that it welcomed FIFA to clarify the Saudi Visit speculation.

“Equality, diversity and inclusion is a deep commitment for Football Australia,” chief executive James Johnson said, “and we will continue to work hard with FIFA to ensure the Women’s World Cup is shaped in this way.”

‘Women deserve much, much more’

Infantino is also angry with broadcasters for giving too little TV rights. He said FIFA would not sell the broadcast rights for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand at the price it is currently offering

“Women deserve much, much more than that and we are there to fight for them and with them,” she said.

Infantino set a target of equal prize money for men and women at the next World Cup, in 2026 and 2027 – a difficult task when the 32 men’s teams shared $440 million at last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

FIFA’s president angrily targeted broadcasters, some of the public service channels funded by taxpayers, who he said gave rights to women’s tournaments up to 100 times cheaper.

Infantino first raised the issue in October in New Zealand, insisting that FIFA is still not selling at that price with the women’s football image viewership perhaps 20-50 percent lower than the men’s game.

“Well, it offers us 20 percent less, 50 percent less. But not 100 percent less,” said Infantino in closing remarks to the FIFA Congress. “That’s why we can’t do it.”