FIFA have released the prize pots available to all 32 of the competing nations at this summer’s World Cup, including each player’s individual take-home.
Unlike in past years, FIFA has opted to divide the money by players rather than by federations, meaning that each of the 732 players competing in the competition this summer will earn €28,000. This prize pot is guaranteed to all teams, whether they advance from the group stages or not. The squad members of the winning team, however, will be awarded €250,000 each.
Federations of the representing nations will also receive funding based on the performances of their teams. In this case the winning federation will take home €4 million, while all 32 federations will receive funding of €1.45 million for competing in the group stage of the competition. This a ground-breaking development from FIFA with the total prize money available increasing by 300% since the last World Cup in 2019.
However, it cannot be forgotten that there is still a significant disparity in the earnings of the Women’s World Cup and the Men’s World Cup. The total prize pool for this summer’s World Cup is €102 million, whereas for the men’s tournament last year a total of €410 million.
FIFA aims to have equal prize money for both the Womens and the Men’s World Cups by 2026 and 2027. In a statement released by FIFA, they explained how they were making "a huge investment in women's football and, for the first time ever, we are guaranteeing prize money for players".
The UK and other major European governments urge FIFA and independent broadcasters to reach an agreement for how the World Cup will be televised in July and August 📺 pic.twitter.com/JTtXVTwf7u
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) June 5, 2023
The announcement of this increased prize pool comes at a time of concern for many nations who are yet to reach a deal with FIFA regarding the TV rights for the World Cup. Countries including the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and France have yet to confirm their broadcasting set-up, following a dispute with FIFA over broadcasting fees.
The World Cup is set to kick-off on July 20th with co-hosts Australia taking on the Republic of Ireland, while Norway will play co-hosts New Zealand.
