Fifa to miss equal Women’s World Cup prize money ambition set by Infantino
Fifa is expected to fall short of its stated ambition to equalise prize money between the men’s and women’s World Cups by the 2027 tournament in Brazil. The women’s prize fund is reportedly being targeted to double from $110m in 2023 to $220m, but would still be about a third of the men’s $655m fund, prompting criticism that Fifa has missed an opportunity.
The men’s tournament this summer brought Fifa record revenue of $15bn, while the women’s event has drawn large audiences: the 2023 final between England and Spain reached 222 million people overall. Fifa’s decision is understood to reflect the commercial income expected from the 2027 tournament; no prize fund is due to be confirmed until a December council meeting. Teams will receive the same $2.5m preparation payment as at the men’s tournament, and players are to have business-class or chartered flights and individual hotel rooms.
In short
- Women’s 2027 World Cup prize money is expected to reach $220m.
- That would be about a third of the men’s $655m fund.
- Fifa is also matching preparation payments and travel provisions.
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The case for
Fifa can argue that prize funds should reflect the revenue a tournament is expected to generate, and that committing money beyond those earnings could weaken the financial case for future competitions. The reported doubling of the women’s fund, alongside equal preparation payments and improved travel and accommodation, could be presented as a substantial step towards greater investment while the tournament’s commercial income grows.
The case against
Critics can argue that equal prize money is a matter of fairness and institutional commitment, not simply a calculation of each tournament’s current revenue. With record income from the men’s tournament and large audiences for the women’s event, they may say Fifa has both the resources and the opportunity to close the gap faster, and that postponing parity risks keeping women’s football undervalued.
Explained simply
The Women’s World Cup is football’s main international tournament for national women’s teams. Fifa, the sport’s global governing body, organises it and sets the prize money shared among teams; the Brazilian edition is scheduled for 2027.
Prize money is separate from payments for preparing for the tournament and from the travel and accommodation provided to teams. Fifa has previously said it wants the men’s and women’s World Cup prize funds to become equal, but the funds have differed substantially.
The issue matters because prize money supports national football programmes and can affect how much reaches players. Comparing the tournaments’ funds also raises questions about how Fifa’s income from each event is reflected in its investment in the women’s game.
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