Fifa to match men's World Cup preparation payments for 2027 women's tournament
Fifa announced on 22 October 2026 that teams at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil will receive the same preparation payments that were provided to squads at the 2026 men’s World Cup. The governing body said changes will also secure upgraded travel and accommodation arrangements for players, including business-class or charter flights and individual hotel rooms.
The preparation payment for each of the 32 teams has been increased to $2.5m (£1.86m), more than doubling the tournament’s preparatory funding compared with 2023. Total preparation money for the competition will rise from $31m in 2023 to $80m for 2027. Fifa said the package is intended to bring provisions for the women’s players in line with the men’s World Cup.
Fifa specified that every player will be guaranteed business-class or chartered flights and will be allocated their own hotel room rather than being required to share. Those travel and accommodation minimums form part of the preparatory payments announced for the 32 qualified teams. The governing body positioned the changes as parity measures between the men’s and women’s elite tournaments.
A survey conducted by the players’ union Fifpro in 2023, after the most recent Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, found that 80% of players’ return flights had been in business class. The same survey reported that 94% of outbound flights were in business class. Those figures were cited in coverage of the arrangements and provide context for Fifa’s commitment to guaranteed travel standards.
Fifa said the total prize fund for the 2027 Women’s World Cup is yet to be decided. No further figures on prize money were provided alongside the preparation-payment announcement. The preparatory funding increase was disclosed separately from any prize-fund deliberations.
Fifa has also moved ahead with plans for a new club competition and has identified the United States as the preferred location for the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup, with Los Angeles and San Diego named among favoured host cities. The governing body said it undertook a detailed assessment to select the host and highlighted the US’s recent experience staging major Fifa tournaments. Fifa’s chief women’s football officer, Sarai Bareman, said: “We undertook a detailed assessment to identify the most suitable host for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Club World Cup. Ultimately, the United States’ recent excellence in staging top Fifa tournaments, combined with the significant interest in women’s football there plus its elite sporting infrastructure, made the country the standout option. “Alongside the vibrant and passionate women’s football ecosystem in the United States, the qualified clubs, government, host cities, our commercial and media partners and more, our mission will be to set an impressive standard for global women’s club football and a benchmark for the future.”
Fifa outlined the planned format for the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup as a 19-team competition, with seven clubs already qualified: Arsenal, Club América Femenil, Barcelona, Gotham FC, Naegohyang, Corinthians and Wuhan Jiangda. The entry allocation was described as including six European teams, three clubs each from the AFC, CAF, Concacaf and Conmebol, plus one representative from Oceania. Those details accompany the announcement of the new tournament as organisers finalise the field.
Fifa has named the United States as host of the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup in January 2028.