The total prize money for the Women’s World Cup this summer will be five times as big as the pot at the tournament’s last edition in 2019, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced in Rwanda on Thursday.
In France four years ago, the 24 teams shared $30million in appearance and prize money, compared to the $440m that was allocated to the 32 teams at the last men’s World Cup, with a further $210m distributed in compensation to the club sides that employed the players in Qatar.
Speaking at FIFA’s 73rd annual congress in the Rwandan capital Kigali, Infantino said the prize fund in Australia and New Zealand will be $110m, with a further $31m set aside to help the participating nations prepare for the tournament and $11million ring-fenced for the players’ clubs.
The news was greeted by global players’ union FIFPRO as “significant progress … on the pathway to equal prize money”.
Infantino, however, pointed out that football would remain on that pathway until broadcasters offered what he deemed more reasonable amounts for the tournament’s media rights.
In his president’s address, the Swiss-Italian football administrator challenged public broadcasters “funded by taxpayers’ money” to increase their bids for the Women’s World Cup as he said some had offered…
