Will the England players receive bonuses if they win the World Cup? – FA issues update
Before the start of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, England players said they were frustrated with the FA over its stance on performance-related bonuses.
The Lionesses are not set to receive bonuses – making them one of only a few of the “bigger” footballing nations not to offer a bonus.
The talks between the team and FA were halted once the tournament began but are set to restart once they return from Australia.
“We’re sorting it after the tournament,” said FA boss Mark Bullingham. “They had a very strong case before the World Cup and a very strong case after, but the reality is there’s a discussion to be had.”
Asked why those discussions were not resolved, he told BBC sports editor Dan Roan: “Fifa were relatively late in announcing the prize money for the tournament and the bonuses always come off that.
“That meant we didn’t get the chance to finalise the agreement with the players before we came out here. They then asked to park it until after the tournament, so that’s what we’ve done.
“It hasn’t affected anything. We’ve got a brilliant morale in the camp, got a brilliant relationship and the two most important things are we’re all aligned in winning the tournament and in growing the women’s game.”
Bullingham said the “commercial disparity is still huge” between men’s and women’s players but the FA is “committed to investing ahead of revenue” to try to bridge the gap.
‘Disparity in the market’
There have also been questions asked as to why Lioness boss Sarina Wiegman’s salary is not on parity with men’s boss Southgate despite her recent success.
“I understand the question. If you look at the disparity in the market and the income coming in, that’s why you’ve got a difference,” said Bullingham.
“We don’t talk about people’s remuneration but I would say that Sarina is, within the market she operates, well paid. If you look at the comparison in the men’s game, it’s a different market.
“I really want those markets to merge over time but we’re not there yet. That is the long-term objective and where we have got to get.”
