Matildas Call Out FIFA Over Prize Money Gap Days Before World Cup

In a video calling for better treatment of women’s footballers around the world, Sam Kerr reads the line: “Those that came before us showed us that being a Matilda means something. They showed us how to fight for recognition, validation and respect.”

On Thursday, The Matildas will kick off their World Cup campaign against Ireland at a sold-out Stadium Australia, but in the run-up to the tournament, they have called FIFA out over the prize money gender gap. All 23 Matildas contributed to a video statement, in a similar fashion to how the Socceroos protested Qatar’s human rights record ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

The players emphasized the challenges faced by women’s football and the considerable gap in prize money to the men’s game, which is a billion-dollar industry.

“Seven hundred and thirty-six footballers have the honor of representing their countries on the biggest stage this tournament, yet many are still denied the basic right to organize and collectively bargain,” said the players.

“Collective bargaining has allowed us to ensure we now get the same conditions as the Socceroos, with one exception – FIFA will still only offer women one quarter as much prize money as men for the same achievement.

“And our sisters in the A-League Women are still pushing to make football a full-time career, so they don’t have to work part-time jobs like we had to.”

The Matildas’ collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with Football Australia ensures that they receive the same minimum percentage of prize money as the Socceroos. However, there is still a significant disparity in prize money between the Women’s and Men’s World Cups.

The 2019 Women’s World Cup had $30 million in prize money on offer, but at the recent FIFA Congress in Kigali, football boss Gianni Infantino announced that prize money for this summer’s tournament, the first to be played in a 32-team format, will be raised to $110 million. The world federation will for the first time allocate individual player fees with remuneration starting at $30,000 per player for group-stage participation.

That development was praised by the global players’ union FIFPro as the “outcome of tremendous global collective action by over 150 national team players” and then months of “constructive negotiation with FIFA”.

However, the $152 million prize pool still falls significantly short of the $440 million available for the men’s World Cup. FIFA has stated its intention to achieve pay parity by 2027.

If the Matildas win the global crown on home soil, each player stands to earn $276,894. Their recent 1-0 victory against France, courtesy of a goal from Mary Fowler, showcased their strong form leading up to the tournament. Coach Tony Gustavsson has developed greater squad depth, and the win demonstrated an improved performance against top-ranked opponents.

Australia are one of few nations to have a CBA, alongside Denmark, Sweden and the United States. World Cup finalists Canada and Nigeria are in pay disputes with their federations. The PFA is negotiating a new CBA with Football Australia as the current deal will run out at the end of the World Cup.