2023 is set to be the biggest year for women’s football yet, one signifier being the big increase for the Women’s World Cup Prize Pot.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup officially begins in less than 100 days, and we are counting down to the biggest edition of the tournament to date.
There are several reasons as to why the 2023 Women’s World Cup is the biggest one yet. For one thing, it is the first time FIFA expanded the tournament to include 32 teams. For another, it is the first time that the tournament will take place in two nations. But one of the main signs of its growth is the increase of the Women’s World Cup prize pot.
So, how much will the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions win later this year?
How much was the prize money in previous years?
Let’s first take a look at the prize pots of the previous editions of the Women’s World Cup.
In 2007, FIFA first awarded the Women’s World Cup champions. Back then, the prize to win was $1 million, and it stayed the same up until 2011.
Come the following edition in 2015, the United States won the World Cup and went home with $2 million out of a $15 million total pot. At the time, this was a topic of controversy, as the winners of the men’s World Cup won $35 million in 2014.
Although there definitely was a significant disparity between the viewership and sponsorship of the men’s edition to that of the women’s, the huge difference in the prize pots was a big point of debate back then.
In 2019, the entire Women’s World Cup prize pot increased to $30 million, with the champions walking away with $4 million. The runners-up received $2.6 million, and the third placers won $2 million, while remaining teams took home smaller shares of the pot.
Throughout the past editions, you might have noticed that prizes would increase by around double each year. For the 2023 edition, it’s increasing by much more than that.
How much is the 2023 Women’s World Cup prize pot?
The entire Women’s World Cup prize pot for 2023 includes a total of $110 million — a 300% increase from 2019.
When the total prize pot was announced, FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed that this was a signifer of the “historic journey for women’s football and equality” that could eventually lead to equal pay.
“For the first time ever, I (plan to) dedicate a specific portion of this payment, which mainly has to go to football development, but a specific portion of that should go of course to the players,” Infantino further explained back in March.
Although $110 million is still far off from the men’s prize pot of $440 million, it is definitely a step in the right direction, and is a testament to the growth of women’s football around the world.
Who do you think will walk away with the top prize in the Women’s World Cup this year?
Banner image from Women’s World Cup on Instagram.
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