Matildas World Cup 2023: Australia call on FIFA for equal prize pools

The Matildas have called upon FIFA to even the playing field - and the prize pool - as they eye the next evolution of the women’s game.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 14: Matildas players pose for a team photograph during the International Friendly match between the Australia Matildas and France at Marvel Stadium on July 14, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

The Matildas have called on FIFA to even the prize pool for the Women’s World Cup, with the 2023 edition of the tournament sharing $110M, one quarter of the $440M on offer at the men’s tournament in 2022.

Professional Footballers Australia, the team’s union body, who also represent A-Leagues mens and women‘s players released a video on Monday morning that featured each of the Matildas 23-player squad, including captain Sam Kerr.

With the @FIFAWWC kicking off this Thursday, our @TheMatildas have a message for those who paved the way. For those who broke down barriers and fought for progress. For the past. For the future.

For those within our football community, our fans, our sponsors, our politicians,… pic.twitter.com/gVImezbX30

— Professional Footballers Australia (@thepfa) July 16, 2023

The video highlights the immense trajectory of women’s football over the past 20 years, pointing out that when the teams veteran players began their international careers in the 2010s, the game was still a part time profession.

“2007 was the first World Cup I played in, and it was the first time FIFA awarded prize money to women, 25 years after the men,” Matildas mainstay Clare Polkinghorne says.

Many of this Matildas’ team, including goalkeeper Lydia Williams, were key movers in the 2010 CBA, which awarded pay to the players for international matches.

The Matildas starting line-up for their 1-0 win over France. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

In 2015, the team began its fight for equal pay, with Williams becoming the face of the campaign.

“I was more than happy to kind of do it, and that time I was home in Australia and was a part of all the negotiations, so I was kind of all across it and felt that it was something that everyone believed in,” Williams told News Corp.

“I wanted to really fight for us and who we could be. And look where we are now.”

Yet the players and have indicated that it is not yet enough.

PFA co-Chief Executive and former Matilda Kate Gill spoke to CODE Sports earlier this year about the importance of full time contracts for players in Australia.

“The next natural progression for our A-League women’s competition is 12 month contracts. What that looks like and how we can shape that effectively for them,” Gill says.

“The growth of women’s sport, and women’s football, has been phenomenal and the transformation of the Matildas’ environment has been emblematic of that development over a very short period of time.

“But the players are acutely aware that much of that growth has been delivered through courageous actions by generations of previous players and that future progress will likely be driven by the players raising their voices again.

“There are many more improvements that can be achieved before women’s football can truly achieve parity with men’s football, and the current group of 23 players want to use their platform, and the platform of the World Cup, to accelerate further change, but importantly leave a legacy for future players.”

Originally published as Matildas World Cup 2023: Australia call on FIFA for equal prize pools