Prize cash on the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will likely be triple that on the final version in 2019, FIFA president Gianni Infantino introduced on Thursday, as he additionally revealed Saudi Arabia’s vacationer board is not going to sponsor the match. Speaking on the FIFA Congress in Kigali after being re-elected for a 3rd time period as president, Infantino mentioned the overall pot, protecting prize cash in addition to compensation for preparations and for golf equipment, could be $152 million. That is up from $50 million in 2019 and simply $15 million on the earlier match in Canada 4 years earlier.

The Women’s World Cup in July and August would be the first to function 32 groups, up from the 24 groups who went to the 2019 version which was held in France and gained by the United States.

The determine nonetheless pales compared to the $440 million prize cash on the 32-team 2022 males’s World Cup.

Infantino mentioned some broadcasters had provided 100 instances much less to cowl the ladies’s competitors regardless of viewing figures being “very similar, maybe 20 percent less”.

“FIFA is stepping up not just with words but with actions. Unfortunately, this is not the case of everyone across the industry. Broadcasters and sponsors have to do more in this respect,” he mentioned.

“If the broadcasters offer us 100 million for the men’s World Cup, they offer us one million or less for the women’s, and at the same time these same public broadcasters… criticise FIFA for not guaranteeing equal pay to men and women.

“Offer us 20 p.c much less, or 50 p.c much less, however not 100% much less. Women deserve a lot, rather more than that and we’re right here to battle for them and with them, however we have to battle collectively.”

The announcement of the increase in prize money was hailed by the global players’ union FIFPro, which said in a statement that “the progress introduced at this time demonstrates the intent of the gamers and FIFA to work proactively in direction of better fairness and equality for the business.”

No Saudi deal

Meanwhile, Infantino said a mooted sponsorship deal with the Saudi tourist board for the World Cup would not happen.

Reports of a possible deal led to criticism by officials from Football Australia and New Zealand Football, who had said they were “shocked” and “dissatisfied” not to have been consulted given the Gulf kingdom’s poor record on women’s rights.

“There have been discussions however in the long run the discussions didn’t result in a contract,” Infantino said, calling the outcry “a storm in a teacup”.

“I perceive that Australia has commerce with Saudi Arabia of 1.5 billion ({dollars}) a yr and that does not appear to be an issue,” he added.

“There is a double customary that I actually do not perceive, however there isn’t a subject, no contract.”

Australia and New Zealand’s football federations welcomed FIFA’s announcement.

“Equality, variety and inclusion are actually deep commitments for Football Australia, and we’ll proceed to work onerous with FIFA to make sure the Women’s World Cup is formed on this gentle,” said Football Australia’s CEO James Johnson in a statement.

“It is important for all business partnerships to align with the imaginative and prescient and values of the tournaments they’re concerned in,” New Zealand Football said.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)