What Is the Prize Money for the Women’s World Cup?
It is that time again to start rooting for your favorite football, futbol or soccer team in the global phenomenon that is the World Cup. If they can’t make it to New Zealand or Australia, men and women from around the globe will gather around television sets and crowd into bars to witness which country will come out on top.
With such popularity, many might wonder what the prize money would be for the winners. Keep reading to learn more.
What Is the Prize Money for the Women’s World Cup?
The total prize amount is $110 million to $150 million. There are 32 women’s national teams competing in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Each player is awarded an increasing amount of prize money for every level in the football tournament they advance. The numbers below are what FIFA announced each player would be paid in 2023, however, there is currently discourse as to whether or not FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, will backtrack on that promise.
2023 Women’s World Cup Prize Money Breakdown
| Tournament Level | Prize Money per Player |
|---|---|
| Group stage | $30,000 |
| Round of 16 | $60,000 |
| Quarterfinals | $90,000 |
| Fourth place | $165,000 |
| Third place | $180,000 |
| Second place | $195,000 |
| Champions | $270,000 |
Top 10 Highest-Paid Female Soccer Players at the World Cup
Here’s a look at 10 of the highest-paid female World Cup soccer players.
| Player Name | Compensation on and off the Field | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Morgan | $7.1 million | United States |
| Megan Rapinoe | $7 million | United States |
| Alexia Putellas | $4 million | Spain |
| Trinity Rodman | $2.3 million | United States |
| Crystal Dunn | $2 million | United States |
| Julie Ertz | $2 million | United States |
| Sophia Smith | $2 million | United States |
| Lindsey Horan | $1.5 million | United States |
| Rose Lavelle | $1.4 million | United States |
| Sofia Huerta | $1.3 million | United States |
Women’s World Cup vs. Men’s World Cup: Gender Pay Gap
Equal pay in the World Cup would mean equal prize money, and unfortunately, that is not how the finances are played out for men’s and women’s soccer. Here are some key takeaways from the pay difference in the Men’s and Women’s World Cup:
- As one of the largest prize money pools in sports, the World Cup also has one of the largest pay disparities in the world based on gender.
- The prize pool for the Men’s World Cup is $440 million whereas the prize pool for the Women’s World Cup is $110 million.
- The United States won the last Women’s World Cup and the team earned an estimated $4 million.
- FIFA announced it would increase women’s player prize money. But it is still projected that they earn 25 cents for every dollar earned by men’s players.
- The Women’s World Cup will have 32 teams in 2023 whereas it only had 24 teams in 2019. This will split the prize pool up even further.
- If a male player is employed by a club team, that team is paid $10,000 for each day that player participates in the tournament. If that club’s players do well and consistently win and level up, this could total close to $209 million spread out over 64 games.
Final Take To GO
With a projected global audience of over a billion people, it is no wonder why there is much more than just a love of the game funding this tournament. FIFA has monetized every aspect of the World Cup for both the men’s and women’s games, however, those two competitions are compensated much differently. Though there has been progress made over the last few years in what is paid to female players, there is still a long way to go to close the pay gap.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the prize money for the Women's World Cup.- What is the prize money for the Women's World Cup 2023?
- The prize money for the Women's World Cup 2023 is projected to be the following per round and player:
- Group stage: $30,000
- Round of 16: $60,000
- Quarterfinals: $90,000
- Fourth place: $165,000
- Third place: $180,000
- Second place: $195,000
- Champions: $270,000
- The prize money for the Women's World Cup 2023 is projected to be the following per round and player:
- Who are the top-paid female soccer players in the World Cup?
- The current top-paid female soccer players in the World Cup are as follows:
- Alex Morgan: $7.1 million
- Megan Rapinoe: $7 million
- Alexia Putellas: $4 million
- Trinity Rodman: $2.3 million
- Crystal Dunn: $2 million
- Julie Ertz: $2 million
- Sophia Smith: $2 million
- Lindsey Horan: $1.5 million
- Rose Lavelle: $1.4 million
- Sofia Huerta: $1.3 million
- The current top-paid female soccer players in the World Cup are as follows:
- What is the difference in what men and women get paid in the World Cup?
- The difference between what men and women make during the World Cup roughly equates to women making about 25 cents to every dollar men make.
- There has been an increase in compensation for women players since 2019. But the 2023 total prize money for the Women's World Cup is $110 million in comparison to the $440 million for the most recent Men's World Cup.
- How much do World Cup players get paid?
- Though there is varying pay per player depending on how far they get in the football tournament, it will range by level between $30,000 and $270,000 for the Women's World Cup. This is split from the total prize money of over $110 million compared to the men's total purse of $440 million.
Information is accurate as of July 27, 2023.
Our in-house research team and on-site financial experts work together to create content that’s accurate, impartial, and up to date. We fact-check every single statistic, quote and fact using trusted primary resources to make sure the information we provide is correct. You can learn more about GOBankingRates’ processes and standards in our editorial policy.
- CNN. 2023. "Female soccer players earn 25 cents to the dollar of men at World Cup, new CNN analysis finds."
- Front Office Sports. 2022. "World Cup Spotlights Huge Gender Disparity in Prize Money."
- AP News. 2023. "First U.S. Women’s World Cup match draws combined audience of 6.26 million on Fox, Telemundo."
- Fortune. 2023. "Women soccer players were promised at least $30,000 to play in this year’s World Cup. Now FIFA is backtracking on its pledge."
- Forbes. 2022. "The World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2022."
- Front Office Sports. 2023. "The 15 Highest-Paid Players at the Women’s World Cup."
