Women's footballers demand equal pay ahead of 2023 World Cup

Women’s footballers backed by the professional players union FIFPro have demanded equal World Cup prize money.

The union says they have sent a letter signed by 150 women’s players from 25 teams to FIFA president Gianni Infantino outlining the players’ proposals.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the letter was sent to the football governing body a month before the start of the men’s World Cup in Qatar.

They proposed setting an equal framework of regulations and conditions such as travel, delegations size, training venue, and facilities for both men and women.

This included equal prize money.

The players are also after a guarantee that the players will receive at least 30 per cent of the prize money.

Many of the international players don’t have an agreement with their national federations to who FIFA pays the prize money.

The Women’s World Cup is set to kick off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20 with the final to be played on August 20.

FIFPro said in a statement, via 7news: “We can confirm a letter signed by 150 players from national teams on every continent was sent to FIFA in October.

“These players are seeking equitable conditions before the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. FIFPRO is currently negotiating with FIFA on behalf of these players.”

The 2022 men’s World Cup had a prize pool of $440 million (A$664m, £365m), meanwhile, FIFA has yet to announce the amount of money available for the women’s World Cup.

FIFA has said that they will at least double the amount of money from the 2019 World Cup, which was $30 million (A$45m, £25m).

Still significantly lower than the men’s competition.

The letter reads according to WSJ: “You, as FIFA, have stated that ‘women’s football is the single biggest growth opportunity in football today, and it remains a top priority for FIFA.

“Although the game has grown exponentially at all levels, the passion and rising popularity of the sport offers vast untapped potential.”

The letter calls the pay gap ‘profoundly unequal’ and ‘undermines’ the preparation the players have in coming into the game.

It claims that the large sums of prize money on offer to the men’s competition spur on nations to support their male teams over their female sides.