England Women's players will not receive bonuses from the FA at this summer's World Cup 2023, with the decision coming just days before the team is due to fly out to Australia for the start of the tournament on July 20.
For the first time, FIFA are set to pay every player in the tournament - previously federations could decide whether prize money would be distributed to players.
As a result, FIFA are set to award every player competing in the group stages £26,000, with further monetary incentives given in each round a team progresses. Indeed, every player in the winning team will earn an extra £210,000.
However, the football federations of the United States and the Netherlands are set to pay their players bonuses on top of FIFA's payments, reportedly causing frustration among the Lionesses' camp that the FA are choosing not to provide a similar bonus scheme, according to The Guardian. Other nations, such as Germany and South Africa, have followed suit.
The FA will provide £10,000 to each player to help families travel to the World Cup, which is the same amount the men's team also receive.
Jonas Linné is the CEO of Forza Football, a live score football app that offers the same importance to women's football scores as men's results. He lamented the FA's decision ahead of such a crucial tournament in the women's footballing landscape.
“The news that the FA won't be paying the Lionesses bonuses beyond FIFA’s payments, as the United States and Australia do to their respective teams, shows a clear step backwards in the journey to equal pay, infrastructure and recognition of the women's game - all initiatives that the FA has been promoting," Linné said.
“Last year, the FA promised the England men’s team £400,000 to £450,000 per player for winning the World Cup, which is almost double of the £215,000 promised to the women’s team this year, while the Lionesses only received £55,000 each for winning the 2022 European Championships. If the FA can pay the men’s team beyond FIFA bonuses, why aren’t they giving the women’s team the same treatment?
“Players are also barred from participating in sponsorship campaigns by the FA, which obstructs the path to equal pay for female players. Equal pay starts with equal media exposure, visibility and sponsorship opportunities for women’s football."
As Linné highlights, the FA imposed a strict media blackout on England players on June 19, restricting their ability to take part in sponsorship campaigns and commercial opportunities, thus limiting any potential income ahead of the World Cup.
"It’s clear from the surge in interest since the 2019 World Cup that the appetite is there, but without proper infrastructure and coverage of the games, these governing bodies will continue to underserve the women’s game for as long as they can get away with," Linné added. "If we can meet the appetite for women’s football with the media coverage it deserves, equal pay for female footballers should follow suit.”
