In recent years, women’s football has experienced a surge in popularity and exposure, with the upcoming 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup expected to be the biggest and most lucrative with regards to prize money in its history.
Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, this year’s tournament has expanded from 24 to 32 teams, commencing on 20 July with the second round of group-stage games currently underway.
To motivate players, FIFA has increased the prize money distributed to teams for reaching various stages of the competition. In the 2019 World Cup, a total prize money of £23 million was available, with the United States earning £3 million for winning the title. The Netherlands received £2 million as runners-up, while England earned £1.2 million for finishing in fourth place.
However, a notable disparity arises when comparing the earnings of the 2018 men’s World Cup in Russia and the 2019 women’s World Cup. The French men’s team earned £29 million for winning, while England received £17 million for finishing in the same fourth position as the women.
ALSO READ: 2023 FIFAWWC: Super Falcons seek Group B glory against eliminated Ireland
Looking ahead to the 2023 World Cup, the total prize money has significantly increased to £88.5 million, and for the first time, FIFA will directly pay players. Each player in the squad will receive payment, and the amount will increase based on their team’s progress. The winning players will earn £210,000 each, and members of any group stage side will receive £23,000.
Although this move has been praised as a positive step towards equality, there is still a considerable gap between the prize money offered to women and men in the World Cup. The Australian national team highlighted this issue in a pre-tournament video, emphasizing that women earn only “one-quarter as much prize money as men for the same achievement.”
While women’s football continues to gain recognition and success, achieving economic parity with the men’s game remains a significant challenge that needs to be addressed.
