The Pay Gap – it’s been around a long time

• Only 7.5% of the Men’s World Cup: In October 2018, the FIFA Council announced the prize money for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 in France would be US$30m, just 7.5% of the prize money FIFA awarded at the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2018 in Russia.
• US$370m: The gap between the men’s prize money pool and the women’s pool is growing, from US$343m to US$370m over the 4 year World Cup cycle.
• No equality until 2039: Even though the women’s pool grew since the last World Cup by a larger proportion (100%) compared to the men’s (12%). This prize money increase is not enough, current momentum, it would take until 2039 to become equal.
• Action so far: Player associations from a number of participating countries wrote to FIFA last year simply to seek consultation. FIFA Council ignored this request and went ahead with its announcement.

Total World Cup Prize Money (US$)

Video Explainer

The Basis: FIFA’s Statutes were updated in 2016, to ensure gender equality, anti-discrimination, human rights and the advancement of women’s football into the organisation’s DNA.

For all letters sent to FIFA regarding Women's World Cup Prize Money see below:

• 19 October 2018
• 4 December 2018
• 16 April 2019
• 29 May 2019

FIFA has the capacity to close the Gender Pay Gap

• FIFA made a profit of US$1.2 billion over its 2015-2018 cycle - twelve times what it budgeted
• FIFA now has reserves of US$2.75 billion - 66% more than it budgeted to have after 2018
• Increasing the prize money at France 2019 to achieve equality would reduce those reserves by less than 11%

Where is FIFAs money being spent? – I’ll give you a hint, it’s not on women’s football

• The winner of the 2017 Confederations Cup received US$4.1m – more than 2019 Women’s World Cup champions will receive
• FIFA’s top two paid executives, President Gianni Infantino and General Secretary Fatma Samoura were paid a combined US$4.1m in 2018, more than the prize money on offer for the 23 players lifting the Women’s World Cup in France
• FIFA Council Members and FIFA senior management were paid a combined US$29.3m in 2018, just short of the US$30m of total prize money being offered across 24 teams at France 2019
• Under its Development & Education expenses for the 2015-2018 cycle, FIFA invested US$24m in global ‘Women’s football promotion’, less than half of what it spent on the FIFA Museum (US$58m costs, net loss of US$46m)
• FIFA is offering US$11.5m in preparation costs for France 2019 teams, less than 25% of what men’s teams received for the equivalent purpose in Russia

For a deeper dive into FIFAs 2018 Financials, click here.

Player's Share

Prize money does not go directly to the players. It is paid to National Associations to support their promotion of football. Players receive a share as determined by their National Association or through Collective Bargaining. Australia’s Matildas have collectively bargained to receive 30% of the prize money that Football Federation Australia receives from FIFA.

What does this mean? It would mean that Gianni Infantino would earn four times as much for watching the Women’s World Cup than the captain who lifts the trophy!

If the Matildas were to win the World Cup, Football Federation Australia would receive US$4m and the 23 players would split their US$1.2m prize money pool between them. That is US$52,173.92 per player on average, or just 24% of the US$213,472 Gianni Infantino earns per month.

Why is National Team income important?

FIFPro research has found that due to low club wages, the careers of female players are underpinned by National Team payments. This dynamic reinforces the necessity of FIFA supporting our best players, who are more reliant on this income than male players.

The case for investment

Women’s sport is booming worldwide. Market research has shown that women in sport embody positive values such as inspiration and trust, characteristics that brands want to be associated with.

Global institutions have recognised not only the social imperative of investing in women’s football but the economic opportunity it presents:

• UEFA last week launched ‘Time For Action’ its first ever women’s football strategy, whilst the DFB let their players do the talking
• Visa and Adidas have recently announced equal spending on women’s and men’s football.
• Broadcasters such as the BBC are providing unparalleled coverage of the women’s game

An Opportunity to Lead

Football can stake a claim as the leading sport for professional women athletes, seizing a larger share of an attractive market which is growing exponentially. An opportunity to build a virtuous cycle, by improving the standard of play and interest in the game.

Active Investment

FIFA’s 2018 financial report is headlined by “Strong 2018 results crown the 2015-18 cycle, leaving record reserves for future investments”.

The vast majority of World Cup prize money flows directly into the coffers of the competing federations, becoming far more productive in the global football economy than it would be sitting idle in FIFA’s reserves.

The greater the reward the stronger the incentive to invest in women’s football. Equal prize money will allow Member Federations to improve their football participation, pathways, infrastructure and coaching.

Investment in growing the global football audience and entrenching FIFA’s values of inclusion, diversity, inspiration and opportunity in dozens of countries.