Fifa has confirmed that prize money for the 2027 Women’s World Cup will rise but will not reach parity with the men’s tournament, falling short of an equality ambition publicly set by president Gianni Infantino in 2023.
Infantino told reporters two years ago that the governing body’s goal was equal prize pots for the men’s and women’s events by 2027, saying then that “Fifa is stepping up with actions, not just with words.” The expectation that the 2027 tournament could at least match the men’s prize fund on a per-team basis had since become widespread across the women’s game.
The decision to stop short of full parity comes after Fifa reported record revenue of $15 billion from this summer’s men’s World Cup. While officials say the women’s prize pool will be substantially increased and could double from the previous edition, the gap between the two competitions’ awards will remain significant.
The announcement is likely to intensify scrutiny of how revenues from the men’s competition are allocated and may renew calls from players, federations and campaigners for accelerated progress on pay equality. Fifa has indicated it will continue to invest in women’s football, but the organisation’s latest move shows that financial parity will not be achieved within the timeframe Infantino originally set.
The debate over prize money arrives as the women’s game grows commercially and in popularity, and as stakeholders press for closer alignment between revenue generation and distribution. How Fifa balances those pressures ahead of the 2027 World Cup will be watched closely by national associations, players and sponsors alike.