FIFA increases 2027 Women’s World Cup preparation funding to $2.5m per team

FIFA has approved a new financial package for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, raising preparation funding to $2.5m (£1.9m) for each participating national football association ahead of the tournament in Brazil.

The decision was taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council following a council meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, on 15 October 2026.

The revised distribution model will include prize money, preparation funds and payments through the FIFA Club Benefits Programme, while players at the women’s tournament will receive the same level of services provided to their male counterparts at the 2026 Men’s World Cup.

FIFA also confirmed that any surplus generated by the competition will be shared among participating member associations, with a designated portion set aside for players.

Further details of the financial arrangements are expected to be discussed at the next FIFA Council meeting in December 2026.

The funding increase forms part of FIFA’s financial framework for the women’s global showpiece, as the governing body outlines how participating teams and players will benefit from the competition.

Under the new model, each qualified association will receive $2.5m to support preparations for the tournament. The overall distribution structure will also incorporate prize money and the existing club benefits scheme.

The decision to provide women players with the same level of services as those available to men at the 2026 World Cup represents another key element of the approved arrangements.

FIFA’s announcement also included several decisions affecting international and club football competitions over the coming years.

The United States has been appointed as host of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from 5 to 30 January 2028.

FIFA said the country was selected because of its experience in staging the organisation’s competitions, its established infrastructure and services, and strong interest among stakeholders in women’s football.

Qualification for the new club tournament will be based on teams’ sporting performances in their respective confederations’ leading club competitions over a four-year period. The assessment will cover the seasons ending in 2024 and 2027.

The Bureau also revised the schedule for the final phase of the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, which will be held in Miami from 26 to 31 January.

The two semi-finals will take place on separate days, with the change intended to improve the tournament’s visibility.

In another decision, Qatar was named as the host of the final three matches of the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

The FIFA Derby of the Americas is scheduled for 9 December, followed by the FIFA Challenger Cup on 12 December. The final will be played on 16 December.

FIFA also confirmed the dates for the 2027 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

The youth tournament is set to run from 17 September to 9 October 2027.

In its final announcement, the Bureau appointed a normalisation committee to oversee the Nigeria Football Federation. The committee's mandate will run until 31 May 2027 at the latest.

The decisions cover funding for the women’s national-team World Cup, the introduction of a new women’s club competition, changes to existing tournament schedules and administrative arrangements within Nigerian football.

Further discussion of the 2027 Women’s World Cup financial distribution model is expected when the FIFA Council meets again in December.