Izuchukwu OkosiThe world football governing body, FIFA on Thursday announced that each player at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will earn at least $30,000.
The winners of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand will take home the sum of $270,000, FIFA further informed.
Women’s football is at an all-time high but there have been concerns from players that its growing popularity is not reflected in what they earn, especially compared to men.
The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand kicks off on July 20 and when it does players from the 32 teams are guaranteed at least $30,000.
That amount increases depending on how far teams go in the tournament, which concludes on August 20.
The average club salary of women players is $14,000, according to FIFA, a fraction of what their counterparts in men’s football earn.
FIFA says the ring-fencing of money for players is a first and its investment is three times what it was at the Women’s World Cup in France four years ago.
The global players’ union FIFPro welcomed the move, saying that FIFA had “listened to the voice of the players”.
“We have taken steps towards greater gender equity in our game at its highest levels,” FIFPro, the association of players union said.
“The legacy of this action is by the players, for the players, of both today and tomorrow.”
Nigeria’s Super Falcons have participated in all previous FIFA Women’s World Cups with their best performance being at the 1999 tournament in the USA where the team finished in the quarterfinals loading 4-3 to Brazil.
The Super Falcons will face Canada, Republic of Ireland and New Zealand at the tournament.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
Great reward for the girls