Women footballers prepare lawsuit against FIFA over World Cup prize money gap

Players demand equality and do not rule out going to court

Women's national teams may sue FIFA if no agreement on prize money is reached before the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, The Athletic reports. In September, representatives from 45 countries, together with the global players' union FIFPRO, sent FIFA a letter demanding proportionally equal prize money for the men's and women's tournaments. Among the signatories are players from the reigning world champions from Spain, the European champions from England, and the United States national team.

What they are demanding and how big the gap in figures is

In addition to prize money equality, the players are demanding guarantees that at least 30% of the women's tournament prize fund will go to the players themselves, minimum standards for national teams, and a binding collective agreement with FIFA. According to The Athletic, one of the national unions has declared its readiness to go to court if negotiations do not lead to clear commitments on gender equality; several unions are discussing a possible lawsuit. The scale of the gap is illustrated by the figures: the 2023 Women's World Cup distributed $110 million in prize money, while payouts for the 2026 men's tournament will amount to $655 million. FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated back in 2023 that the goal was to equalize prize money by 2027, but no binding agreement has appeared since then.

FIFA's position and a possible doubling of the fund

According to The Athletic, FIFA is considering doubling the prize fund for the 2027 Women's World Cup to at least $220 million, but this amount has not yet received formal approval. In a comment to The Athletic, FIFA and FIFPRO stated that negotiations remain constructive: