FIFA expected to miss 2027 World Cup prize-money parity target

FIFA is expected to fall short of its ambition to achieve equal World Cup prize money for women in 2027, according to reporting by The Guardian. The newspaper says the fund for next year's tournament in Brazil is likely to rise substantially but remain below the level needed to match the men's competition on a per-team basis.

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The Guardian cited a Sky News report that a $220 million women's prize fund is being targeted, twice the $110 million available in 2023. That figure remains a reported proposal, not an announced allocation. The Guardian said confirmation of a decision was not expected before FIFA's council meeting in December, leaving the final amount unresolved.

The comparison involves tournaments with different numbers of participants. The men's event this year featured 48 teams and a $655 million prize pool, while Brazil will host 32 women's teams. A women's fund equivalent to two-thirds of the men's total would therefore represent parity per participating team. The proposed $220 million would instead be roughly one-third of the men's overall allocation.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino set out the ambition for prize-money equality in 2023. The Guardian reported differing reactions to the prospective increase: some sources familiar with recent negotiations welcomed its scale, while a senior female source criticised the failure to reach parity. The proposed doubling would still leave the target expressed three years ago unmet.

According to The Guardian, senior FIFA officials are understood to have discussed the governing body's broader investment in women's football with leading players. The expected decision is believed to be linked to the commercial income anticipated from the 2027 competition. FIFA did not comment when approached by the newspaper, so that explanation was not presented as an official public response.

Other financial arrangements have already been confirmed. The Guardian reported that each team at the 2027 Women's World Cup will receive $2.5 million in preparation funding, matching the amount provided for teams at the men's tournament. That allocation has more than doubled.

Players will also be guaranteed business-class or charter flights and individual hotel rooms, provisions FIFA says bring conditions into line with the men's World Cup. Separately, sources at the governing body told The Guardian that further improvements to the women's club benefits programme and additional funds reserved for participating players were expected.