Associations still responsible for Women’s World Cup payments, says FIFA

[FILE] Nigeria’s defender Chidinma Okeke (L) vies with Germany’s midfielder Svenja Huth during the France 2019 Women’s World Cup round of sixteen football match between Germany and Nigeria, on June 22, 2019, at the Stades des Alpes stadium in Grenoble, central eastern France. Jean-Philippe KSIAZEK / AFP

One month after ‘guaranteeing’ 2023 Women’s World Cup players would be paid at least $30,000 apiece, FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, couldn’t promise participating country associations will dispense prize money equally.

Speaking during a news conference for the tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday, Infantino said FIFA is in touch with the associations and federations, but there are different situations in different parts of the world.

He said taxation and residence stipulations are among the issues that will require special agreements, some of which were made previously.

The 2023 World Cup will be held from today through August 20 in New Zealand and Australia. FIFA announced in June that the World Cup prize money pool will be $110 million, ‘guaranteeing’ each player at least $30,000. FIFA will give that money to participating countries through their individual federations and associations, which are then responsible for dispensing it.

“We have issued recommendations, but we are an association of associations,” Infantino told reporters. “So, whatever payments we do will be through the associations. Then the associations will make the relevant payments to their own players.”

“I think we have been taking some groundbreaking moves and decisions,” Infantino said. “It is by far not the end of the story. We are looking forward to work together with the associations and the players to have a smooth World cup in this