Women's World Cup 2023: Lionesses pause pay dispute discussions with Football Association ahead of tournament
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Published 18/07/2023 at 12:47 GMT+1
The Lionesses have announced a temporary halt to discussions with the Football Association regarding bonuses, expressing "disappointment" over the lack of a resolution before the start of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The England players plan to revisit the issue after the tournament. Concerns include performance-related bonuses and personal endorsements.
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The Lionesses have announced they will pause pay discussions with the Football Association to concentrate on the start of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup "with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament".
In a collective statement from the team, the Lionesses have said they are "disappointed" that a resolution regarding the bonus and commercial structures was not agreed upon ahead of the tournament.
The full statement, which interim captain Millie Bright posted on her social media, read: “Last year, we presented the FA with concerns relating to our bonus and commercial structures.
"The hope was that discussions would lead to a solution before the commencement of our World Cup.
“We are disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved. We view the successful conclusions of these discussions, through player input and a transparent long-term plan, as key for the growth of women’s football in England.
“With our opening game on the horizon, we Lionesses have decided to pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament.
“We collectively feel a strong sense of responsibility to grow the game. And while our focus now switches fully to the tournament ahead, we believe every tackle, pass, and goal, will contribute to the work we are committed to doing off the pitch.
“We look forward to playing for our country this World Cup, with pride, passion, and perseverance. Thank you for your support, Your Lionesses.”
It was previously reported that the England players were unhappy with the FA due to a lack of performance-related bonuses at the World Cup, with the FA not planning to pay the players any performance-related bonuses this summer following FIFA's announcement that players will receive individual performance-related payments from them.
Countries such as the United States will receive performance-related bonuses from their respective federations alongside FIFA payments.
Previously, the FA has paid England performance-related bonuses at major tournaments, but their decision not to at this year's World Cup comes because of FIFA’s new prize money increase.
The total prize money for the 2023 tournament has increased from $30 million (£24 million) to $152 million (£123 million), and specific amounts will be given directly to the players depending on what round their team reaches in the competition. This ranges from $30,000 (£23,600) per player for taking part in the group stages, to $270,000 (£213,000) per player for the winning team.
Previously, prize money was paid to the federations, who would then distribute it as they saw fit.
The England players believe FIFA's new payment structure should not serve as a substitute for bonuses from the FA, with the players feeling that the absence of these performance-related bonuses places them on par with nations that have a lesser presence in women's football, failing to acknowledge their status as European champions and the FA's reputation as a leading global federation.
The FA's lack of established performance-related bonuses also raises concerns about the commercial perspective of England's success at the World Cup. The players have argued that the FA benefits commercially from the Lionesses, and if they achieve success in the tournament, this value will only increase. However, the absence of a bonus structure fails to recognise this potential.
Players have also faced limitations in benefiting from personal endorsements due to clashes with FA endorsements, restricting their ability to capitalise on sponsorship opportunities. In a women's game where prize money, wages, and contract durations are typically lower, sponsorship opportunities play a significant role in supporting players financially.
England begin their World Cup campaign on July 22 against Haiti.
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