Equal prize money at the 2026 and 2027 men’s and women’s World Cups has to happen “no matter what”, according to world players’ union FIFPRO.
Gianni Infantino, the president of football’s global governing body FIFA which organises the tournaments, said in March it was his ambition for there to be equal prize money after this summer’s Women’s World Cup.
He has said sponsors and broadcasters must play their part in helping to achieve that, something FIFPRO general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann agrees with.
However, Baer-Hoffmann insisted on Friday that equal prize money must not just be a goal – it was essential.
“It is not wrong from FIFA to actually call all the other economic contributors to the tournament to the table,” he said.
“You can say whatever you want about how footballing institutions have probably massively under-invested in the game and have not done enough to develop it.
“At the same time, so have many other stakeholders, whether they are broadcasters or sponsors.
“So while we think this prize money equalisation has to happen in 26-27 no matter what, we also are looking to work with FIFA to make sure that the economics of this tournament continue to develop because it shouldn’t just be a prize money equalisation on the back of a political commitment.”
Infantino had been especially critical of broadcasters in some of the big European markets, including the United Kingdom, for offering a tiny fraction of the money they had put forward for the 2022 men’s finals compared to this summer’s women’s tournament.
However, a deal for the tournament to be screened on the BBC and ITV was announced earlier this week.
FIFA has confirmed a record prize money pot will be distributed for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, with 270,000 US dollars (around £216,000) earmarked for each member of the winning squad.
Every player involved in the tournament is guaranteed to receive at least 30,000 US dollars (just over £24,000), at a time when the average salary in the women’s game worldwide is 14,000 US dollars (£11,000), according to last year’s FIFA benchmarking report.
World players’ union FIFPRO has praised FIFA “for listening to the voice of players” on the issue of pay, and for ensuring equal conditions in terms of training facilities and transport for players at this summer’s finals compared to the men’s tournament in Qatar late last year.
A group of 150 players from 25 national teams – including players from England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland – had written to FIFA in October last year calling for equal conditions and for a guarantee that at least 30 per cent of prize money would be allocated to players.
Previously, there was no requirement for national associations to distribute a minimum amount of World Cup prize money to participating players.
The overall performance-based fund for the finals is 110million US dollars (£88.1m), more than three times what was on offer at the 2019 World Cup in France, with the players sharing more than 44 per cent of that between them.
FIFPRO said on Friday that the money earmarked for players would go into designated accounts audited by FIFA to ensure it got to them.
There remain issues globally regarding the conditions for players, with the Jamaican squad publishing a statement on Thursday criticising their country’s federation for how it has resourced and handled the team’s World Cup preparations.
Their complaints include a failure to pay agreed compensation or provide sufficient resources for team preparation in some areas, including food, training and travel.
Sarah Gregorius, FIFPRO’s director of global policy and strategic relations for women’s football described the plight of the Reggae Girlz as “completely unacceptable”.
FIFPRO also confirmed FIFA had presented its proposed approach regarding armbands to a players’ group at a meeting on Thursday.
A group of seven European nations were threatened with sporting sanctions starting with a yellow card for their captains if rainbow-coloured ‘OneLove’ armbands were worn at the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year.
Discussions are ongoing with other stakeholders on the issue, with the Football Association understood to be in almost daily written contact with FIFA regarding this topic.
Baer-Hoffmann said feedback from the players’ group would be passed to FIFA in due course.
Infantino said in March that all sides had learned lessons from what happened in Qatar and was confident “a solution” would be agreed for the Women’s World Cup.
