Women demand World Cup pay rise

FIFA president Gianni Infantino understands why female footballers are unhappy about the lack of gender equality in World Cup prizemoney but said doubling the cash for finalists to $42 million represents significant progress.

Ahead of the FIFA Council meeting ratifying the financial package for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, players unions in Australia, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand wrote to world soccer’s governing body to raise concerns about why there is vastly more cash set aside for the men’s showpiece.

Australia’s players’ union cited FIFA statutes which feature a commitment to “gender equality”.

The union pointed out the Socceroos received $3.4 million for competing in the group stage at the World Cup in Russia, but women will only split $318,000 at the same phase in France next year.

“The impact of this discrimination of women players is exacerbated by the dependence of many women players including our members on their income from their national team duties, in contrast to men,” the players unions from Australia, Sweden and Norway wrote in separate letters to FIFA using the same language.

Infantino said the women’s view was understandable.

“Critical comments are perfectly justified because ... the unions and the players they defend their own interests which is a fair point,” he said.

“We need to try to find the most balanced way.”

The men’s World Cup now generates most of FIFA’s income and that is reflected in the prizemoney.

France banked $54 million from FIFA for winning the men’s World Cup in July. The women’s champion next year will earn only $5.7 million.