FIFA reportedly plans $220m prize pot for 2027 Women's World Cup, short of parity
By Vera, Vocemundi ·
By Vera, Vocemundi · 2026-10-30
FIFA is targeting prize money of about $220m for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, according to a Sky News report cited by The Guardian. That would be double the $110m paid at the 2023 tournament. Anadolu Agency carried the same figure, attributing it to an unnamed report.
The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include an official FIFA statement confirming the figure. FIFA did not comment when contacted by The Guardian. According to The Guardian, no decision is expected to be confirmed until FIFA's council meeting in December.
How the figure compares
According to The Guardian's account of the Sky News report, $220m would be more than a seven-fold increase on prize money at the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.
Sky News first reported that FIFA would not match the men's prize fund. The Guardian, citing its own unnamed sourcing, reported that the women's 2027 prize money will be about a third of the men's 2026 total. According to The Guardian, that total was $655m, including $50m for the winners, Spain. FIFA made a record $15bn in revenue from the 2026 men's tournament, the newspaper reported.
The 2026 men's tournament had 48 teams. The 2027 women's tournament will have 32. According to The Guardian, a women's pot two-thirds the size of the men's would have meant parity per team.
In 2023, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the organisation's ambition was equal prize money for the 2027 tournament. The Guardian cited a 2023 statement in which he said: "Fifa is stepping up with actions, not just with words."
Other provisions
According to The Guardian, it was confirmed earlier in October 2026 that 2027 teams will receive the same preparation money as men's teams in 2026. That payment has been more than doubled to $2.5m per team. The reports do not say who confirmed this. Every player will also be guaranteed business-class or chartered flights and a single hotel room, the newspaper reported.
The Guardian reported extensive negotiations in recent weeks. Senior FIFA officials are understood to have spoken to some leading players to explain the decision, which is believed to relate to the commercial income the 2027 event is expected to generate. The reports do not give that expected income, or say which players were contacted.
What each side says
- Unnamed FIFA sources, according to The Guardian, said there will be further enhancements to the women's club benefits programme and additional money ringfenced for 2027 players. The reports do not give amounts.
- FIFA, as cited by The Guardian, said the travel and hotel provisions bring players in line with the men's World Cup.
- Infantino has previously criticised broadcasters for not paying more for Women's World Cup television rights, according to The Guardian.
- Some unnamed sources with knowledge of the negotiations are privately praising the increase, The Guardian reported.
- An unnamed senior female source, according to The Guardian, called falling short of parity a "huge missed open goal" by FIFA.
Analysis
The reported figure sits between two benchmarks: it is a large increase on past women's tournaments, yet below the equal prize pot FIFA's president described as an ambition in 2023, and below the per-team parity that, according to The Guardian, the women's game had widely hoped for. How it is received may depend on details the reports do not include, such as distribution between teams and the size of funds ringfenced for players. FIFA appears to link the decision to expected commercial income, which places attention on broadcast deals. The figure could change before the December council meeting, or be confirmed as reported. Until FIFA makes an official statement, the numbers remain reported, not confirmed.
Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.
This story was originally published by Vocemundi and is republished under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license. How we verified this story.
Originally published by Vocemundi Wire — English