(Football news) 150 women’s national team players had sent a letter to FIFA in October, a month before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar began, asking for equal treatment and conditions. The women’s World Cup is set to begin this summer in Australia and New Zealand and while FIFPro have said that negotiations are ongoing, the names of players who have signed the letter won’t be made available. To put matters into perspective, Argentina earned $42m for winning the 2022 World Cup while the US women’s national team won $4m from a prize pool of $30 million in the 2019 World Cup. 

A statement released by FIFPro read “We can confirm a letter signed by 150 players from national teams on every continent was sent to FIFA in October. These players are seeking equitable conditions before the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. FIFPRO is currently negotiating with FIFA on behalf of these players.” In a historic agreement last year, the US men’s and women’s national teams will now equally share the prize money won at the World Cup with US Soccer being the only federation to evenly distribute the winnings. The Canadian women’s national team has now asked Canada Soccer for a similar provision in the ongoing negotiations.

The Women’s World Cup will begin on July 20 and will feature 32 teams in an expanded format instead of 24 from the 2019 World Cup in France. The rise of women’s football has been steady over the years and the 2019 World Cup drew more than 1bn viewers. It remains to be seen whether FIFA will be able to provide equal World Cup money for both men and women as there is a huge gulf in sponsorship revenue, ticket prices, overall demand and broadcasting rights between the two categories, which lead to the men’s World Cup having more money that can be redistributed.

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