FIFA Approves Women's World Cup Prize Money, Unions Not Satisfied

The FIFA Council has approved the prize money for the Women's World Cup, doubling it to $30 million next year.

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) – The FIFA Council has approved the prize money for the Women's World Cup, doubling it to $30 million next year.

There will also be $11.5 million shared with the 24 teams for tournament preparations and $8.5 million will be split by clubs releasing players.

Players unions, though, still want more gender equality.

France earned $38 million from FIFA for winning the men's World Cup in July. The women's champion next year in France will earn $4 million, which is twice the amount collected by the United States team in 2015.

World players' union FIFPro says ''despite these changes football remains even further from the goal of equality for all World Cup players regardless of gender.''

The prize money for the men's World Cup in Russia this year rose 12 percent to $400 million. FIFA gave teams $48 million for preparation costs and also shared $209 million with clubs which sent players to the tournament.

USWNT Players Take Issue With Changes in World Cup Prize Money

FIFPro says there has been ''an increase in the gap between men's and women's prize money. This regressive trend appears to contravene FIFA's statutory commitment to gender equality.''