Women soccer players were promised at least $30,000 to play in this year’s World Cup. Now FIFA is backtracking on its pledge

Megan Rapinoe and the United States Women's National Team (Credit: Lachlan Cunningham—USSF/Getty Images)

The Women’s World Cup starts today, and the players just found out they might not be paid what they were promised.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is reneging on a commitment he made in June to distribute a portion of the Women’s World Cup prize money directly to the players. The announcement came on the eve of the tournament’s kick off and is considered a setback to closing the gender pay gap in the sport.