Federation of International Football Associations, FIFA has promised to double the prize money available at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, with US$30 million to be split between the 24 teams taking part at next year’s tournament in France.
As part of the changes, which were approved at the meeting of the FIFA Council in Kigali, Rwanda, clubs will also receive financial rewards for the participation of their players in the competition for the first time.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the move as “a very important message for women’s football”, adding that “it will certainly boost this World Cup even more.”
However, the implementations have been criticised by FIFPro, the global players’ union, as well as by individual players and national governing bodies, with the additional funding not viewed as sufficiently far-reaching.
Despite the US$15 million uplift from the 2015 edition, the disparity between the available prize money in FIFA’s flagship men’s and women’s tournaments has also seen a significant increase: the men’s edition has seen a 12 per cent rise, taking the overall prize money to US$400 million – a gender gap of US$370 million.
France’s Russia 2018-winning men’s side, managed by Didier Deschamps, received US$38 million from FIFA, while the winning nation of next year’s women’s competition will take home just US$4 million.
A FIFPro statement on the matter read: ‘FIFPro notes the willingness of Fifa to increase prize money for the Women’s World Cup and make structural improvements to support women’s football. However, despite these changes football remains even further from the goal of equality for all World Cup players regardless of gender.
‘In reality, the changes actually signify an increase in the gap between men’s and women’s prize money. This regressive trend appears to contravene FIFA’s statutory commitment to gender equality.
‘We strongly support our members, women’s national team players in multiple countries, who have written to FIFA in recent days expressing their dismay about the distribution of prize money.’
Among the national bodies to have highlighted the increased inequality, the Australian Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) noted that while its men’s side received US$2.4 million for merely reaching the group stage of the 32-team competition this year, its women’s outfit – known as the Matildas – would receive US$225,000 for achieving the same outcome in France.
A PFA statement added: ‘If the Matildas are to become World Champions, they will only receive 50 per cent of what the Socceroos received for qualifying for Russia.’
Earlier this month, FIFA unveiled its inaugural global women’s soccer strategy, which featured plans for a Club World Cup competition, as well as a goal to double participation in the sport by 2026 to 60 million players worldwide. The shortlist for the first ever women’s Ballon d’Or – the prize handed to the world’s best player – was announced on 8th October, featuring English duo Lucy Bronze and Chelsea’s Fran Kirby
