Asian Football Confederation Ignores Player Pleas for Increased Prize Money at Women's Asian Cup
The upcoming Women's Asian Cup in Australia will feature prize money that has remained unchanged from four years ago, despite a global boom in women's football. The decision to maintain the same amount was met with criticism from players and the global players' union Fifpro.
Prize money for participating teams in this year's tournament has been stuck at $1.8 million since 2022, despite a significant increase in revenue from men's competitions. In contrast, other regional tournaments are allocating substantial funds to prize money, including the Women's European Championships, which saw a prize pot of $47.2 million.
Fifpro conducted a survey after the 2022 edition and found that 87% of players believed improvements were needed for pay and prize money. However, despite multiple player requests, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has declined to increase the prize money, citing the need for "long-term development" of the women's game.
The AFC claims that its strategy focuses on increasing commercial revenues through broadcasting and sponsorships before investing in increased prize money. However, Fifpro Asia/Oceania secretary general Shoko Tsuji dismissed this justification as "unsustainable" and said that players should not be asked to wait for future improvements, particularly when other regions are investing significantly.
The decision to maintain the same amount of prize money has sparked criticism from players across Asia, who have already shown their potential in women's football. The lack of respect for the players' efforts is seen as a stark contrast to the AFC's newer women's football competition, the Women's Asian Champions League, which allocated $1.5 million in total prize money.
The Matildas will face stiff competition in the group stage, including the Philippines, Iran, and South Korea. As the tournament approaches, players are planning a public campaign to draw attention to the disparity between their competing regional tournaments.
The upcoming Women's Asian Cup in Australia will feature prize money that has remained unchanged from four years ago, despite a global boom in women's football. The decision to maintain the same amount was met with criticism from players and the global players' union Fifpro.
Prize money for participating teams in this year's tournament has been stuck at $1.8 million since 2022, despite a significant increase in revenue from men's competitions. In contrast, other regional tournaments are allocating substantial funds to prize money, including the Women's European Championships, which saw a prize pot of $47.2 million.
Fifpro conducted a survey after the 2022 edition and found that 87% of players believed improvements were needed for pay and prize money. However, despite multiple player requests, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has declined to increase the prize money, citing the need for "long-term development" of the women's game.
The AFC claims that its strategy focuses on increasing commercial revenues through broadcasting and sponsorships before investing in increased prize money. However, Fifpro Asia/Oceania secretary general Shoko Tsuji dismissed this justification as "unsustainable" and said that players should not be asked to wait for future improvements, particularly when other regions are investing significantly.
The decision to maintain the same amount of prize money has sparked criticism from players across Asia, who have already shown their potential in women's football. The lack of respect for the players' efforts is seen as a stark contrast to the AFC's newer women's football competition, the Women's Asian Champions League, which allocated $1.5 million in total prize money.
The Matildas will face stiff competition in the group stage, including the Philippines, Iran, and South Korea. As the tournament approaches, players are planning a public campaign to draw attention to the disparity between their competing regional tournaments.
its not right that fifpro asia oceania secretary general is saying that players shouldnt wait for future improvements when other regions are investing so much. 
the women's european championships prize pot of $47.2 million is a whole lot more than what the asian cup is offering. i think its unfair to say thats AFCs strategy focuses on long term development when they could be doing more now to show that womens football is being taken seriously. 
the players are already making big strides in women's football and deserve better.
. I mean, these ladies are totally killing it on the pitch and deserve some decent compensation 
. It's like they're saying "hey, you can win a tournament, but only if you're willing to wait for better pay in the future". That doesn't sit right with me 
. And what's up with this "long-term development" excuse? Sounds like just a fancy way of saying "we don't want to give you players any more money now" 
. It's not fair that they're comparing themselves to other tournaments that are willing to invest in their players' futures 
. The Matildas deserve better, and so do all the other female players across Asia 
.
You're literally making players wait for years just so you can 'develop' the women's game... meanwhile, everyone else is over here throwing money at each other and still managing to boost the sport 
That's like, peanuts compared to what they're shelling out for men's tournaments. And don't even get me started on the survey where 87% of players want a pay raise... what are you gonna do with that info, huh? 
Just ignore it and keep milking these talented women for all they're worth 
. I mean, I know you're trying to focus on broadcasting and sponsorships, but can't you just make some real progress here?! 
. The players are literally planning a public campaign to highlight this issue... I hope it sparks some change because, honestly, I'm just so over this lack of respect 
I mean, have you ever tried those Japanese mochi desserts with green tea ice cream? To. Die. For.
I don't buy it.
. They deserve better than to be treated like this. Maybe if more women in sports speak out about these issues, we'll start to see some real change happen 
.
and we were talking about how much of a difference it makes when you're paying for something. like, if the prize money is only $1.8 million for the whole tournament, that's like... nothing compared to what some of these other tournaments are throwing around 
. and it's not even like the players aren't doing anything right 
️. so yeah, I can see why the players would be upset about this. 
in the AFC's decision on the prize money for the Women's Asian Cup! 1.8 million is such a small amount considering how popular women's football is getting these days 
, just a fair share of the revenue that the AFC is generating from broadcasting and sponsorships. The Matildas are gonna have to get creative if they wanna make some noise about this issue, but I gotta respect their determination 
.
. Meanwhile, other regional tournaments are throwing around huge sums of money and they're still finding a way to make it work 
. Fifpro is right on point saying the AFC's strategy is unsustainable 
. Let's hope the Matildas can make some noise and bring about change 
Meanwhile, players are over here tryna break bread 
but no one's listenin' 
in the AFC's decision on prize money for the Women's Asian Cup! I mean, we've seen how much more lucrative the men's tournaments are and yet they're not giving our female players a fair shot? It's like, they're already crushing it on the pitch 
, why should they have to wait for "long-term development"? That just sounds like an excuse 
. The Matildas are gonna need all the support they can get if they wanna take on those tough opponents 