The aftermath of the Super Falcons’ final group stage match against Ireland was filled with jubilations by the gallant Nigerian representatives.
However, the gallant ladies have a far greater cause for celebration as their qualification for the next round of the competition means they are due for a huge pay day.
Recall that FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, announced, days to the start of the tournament, that the prize money would see an increase to the tune of $110 million, up from the $30 million made available in the last edition.
According to the official FIFA website, the new payment plan has each player of every team participating in the group stage earning $30,000.
The plan also sees the group stage earnings doubled for teams progressing into the next round, as each player would see their wage rise up to $60,000, which means that each of the Falcons already stands $90,000 richer by virtue of their qualification for the next round on Monday.
The date with the English women presents an opportunity for the Falcons to see their wages even increase further, as each of them stands a 50% increase with a possible $90,000 earning should they beat their opponent to the quarter final ticket.
The latter stages of the competition hold even far more juicy bonuses with the fourth placed team member expected to earn $165,000 each, whilst players of the team with the third best finish would go away with an additional earning of $180,000 each.
First runner up will earn $195,000 each; and $270,000 goes to each player in the champions team.
According to Infantino, the new payment plan serves as a means of compensation for female football players who have been in the news for earning far lower than their male counterparts.
“The global salary of women’s professional footballers is approximately $14,000 annually; so, the amount allocated under this unprecedented new distribution model will have a real and meaningful impact on the lives of these players,” Infantino said.
Meanwhile, FIFA has announced its plan to pay prize money directly into the players’ accounts.
FIFA Secretary-General, Fatma Samoura, confirmed this in a viral video on social media saying the policy change is due to the unpaid allowance issues involving Nigeria’s Super Falcons.
The Falcons’ head coach, Randy Waldrum, had earlier revealed that some players were owed “per diem and bonuses” from two years ago.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup runs from 20 July to 20 August 2023, and is jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
