FIFA announce women’s World Cup prize money to match men’s by 2027 as Visit Saudi dropped as 2023 sponsor

FIFA aims to match the prize money for the 2027 women’s World Cup with the men’s tournament in 2026.

The prize money up for grabs at Qatar 2022 totalled $440 million, while the women’s teams will receive $110m at this summer’s tournament, a rise of $80m from the $30m awarded in 2019.

An extra $40m of team preparation money will also be available for clubs that release players.

The intention to equal the pay between the men’s and women’s tournaments in the next four years comes after concerns were raised ahead of this year’s women’s World Cup in July and August, with female players lobbying to global union FIFPRO in a bid to push FIFA for equal pay.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the plans on the same day he was re-elected to his position.

Infantino also confirmed that Visit Saudi would be dropped as the sponsor of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer.

While Infantino – who succeeded Sepp Blatter as president in 2016 – said there needs to be “way more football” in the coming years of his second presidency, he also labelled the contentious plans for Visit Saudi to sponsor the women’s World Cup in the summer as “a storm in a teacup.”

“At the end, this discussion didn’t lead into a contract,” he said, after backlash from the co-hosts, players and sponsors over the proposed deal for the gulf country’s tourism arm to sponsor the tournament.

“There are discussions and of course we want to see how we can involve Saudi sponsors in women’s football generally, how we can involve Saudi sponsors in men’s football, or we can involve Qatari sponsors in women’s football and men’s football, and all other sponsors from all over the world.”