When the 32 national women’s football teams take to the pitch for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, they’ll be competing for their share of a $152 million total pot — four times what it was in 2019, and far short of what men’s teams played for in Qatar last year.
(Bloomberg) — When the 32 national women’s football teams take to the pitch for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, they’ll be competing for their share of a $152 million total pot — four times what it was in 2019, and far short of what men’s teams played for in Qatar last year.
The Federation Internationale de Football Association, the governing body known as FIFA, confirmed the $152 million pot at a conference in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday. It will be split between $110 million in prize money, as well as funds for teams to prepare for their matches.
“We have said the objective is to have equality in payments between men and women,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “FIFA is saying this through its actions, not just words but actions.”
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The total package for men’s teams competing in Qatar in 2022 was $440 million. FIFA officials said they expect the prize money for each World Cup to be equal for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup begins this July in Australia and New Zealand. Because of the time difference, evening games will air much earlier in the day in Europe, making it harder for some people to watch.
Infantino expressed anger again with broadcasters in some markets who have tabled bids that are significantly lower than for the men’s event. There are still unsold broadcast rights for the tournament in key European markets such as Spain, the UK, France and Germany for the women’s event which is a few months away.
Romy Gai, FIFA’s chief partnerships and media officer, first highlighted this issue to Bloomberg last year ahead of the men’s World Cup in Doha. Official figures show that the 2018 men’s World Cup generated roughly $3 billion in broadcast revenue, whereas the equivalent 2019 women’s competition brought in about $300 million.
FIFPRO, the international player’s union, applauded the increase in a statement, and underscored their demands for full parity. In October, a coalition of 25 national teams sent a letter to FIFA demanding equal prize money for World Cups.
“The progress announced today demonstrates the intent of the players and FIFA to work proactively towards greater equity and equality for the industry,” the group said. “The pathway to full equality remains of paramount importance.”
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