On 10/2, FIFPro released a report titled "Opportunities for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup". The report includes a letter from players representing seven national teams participating in the Women's Asian Cup 2026, scheduled for December 2025, addressed to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). These teams are Japan, Australia, Chinese Taipei, India, South Korea, China, and the Philippines.

The female players urged the AFC to implement four proposals. First, the regulations and conditions of the Women's Asian Cup should be equivalent to those of the men's tournament. Second, prize money for both women and men should be equal. Players would be guaranteed prize money, with at least 30% transferred directly to them. Finally, a comprehensive program should be designed to promote the professionalization of women's football across Asia.

Japan international and Manchester City player Yui Hasegawa. Photo: Imago

The Women's Asian Cup 2026 has a prize fund of USD 1.8 million, the same as the 2022 edition. That was also the first year the tournament offered prize money, but it was only distributed among the top four teams. In contrast, the prize fund for the men's Asian Cup 2023 was USD 14.8 million, with the champion receiving USD 5 million and at least USD 200,000 for teams eliminated in the group stage.

"The prize fund for the Women's Asian Cup 2026 is only 12% of the men's, and is the lowest among comparable continental tournaments," the FIFPro report stated.

The Women's European Championship 2025 has a total prize fund of USD 47.2 million. The Women's Africa Cup of Nations 2024 increased its prize money to USD 3.475 million. The CONCACAF W Gold Cup 2024 allocated USD 3.7 million, while the Copa America Femenina 2025 offered USD 2 million.

Shoko Tsuji, FIFPro General Secretary for Asia and Oceania, believes the Women's Asian Cup 2026 presents a significant opportunity to address past inequalities and establish new standards for valuing and supporting female players in Asia. FIFPro also cited an independent report from Gemba, a global sports intelligence agency based in Australia and England, which indicated that the tournament next March has the potential to generate USD 82.4 million in revenue, based on historical comparisons, appeal, and commercial standards.

The AFC has not yet officially responded to the letter from the female players and the FIFPro report. Meanwhile, representatives from the nations that sent the letter continue to call for improved conditions and prize money for female players.

"Conditions for women's football globally have improved significantly, but the Women's Asian Cup 2026 being held in Australia, the only country to achieve equal pay between women and men, offers a huge opportunity," said Yui Hasegawa, a Japan international who plays for Manchester City.

Alanna Kennedy (Australia), Ashalata Devi (India), and Lee Hsiu-Chin (Chinese Taipei) also urged the AFC to promote equality in conditions and prize money between the two tournaments. "We give our all for our country. Our dedication, sacrifice, and pride are the same as our male counterparts. Equal prize money and conditions are not only the right thing to do, but also show equal respect," Devi stated.

Each Vietnamese player received USD 30,000 from FIFA's prize fund despite being eliminated in the group stage of the Women's World Cup 2023. Photo: Duc Dong

Equal prize money for male and female athletes has long been a topic of debate in many sports. However, organizers often state that this goal is not easy to achieve.

At the Women's World Cup 2023, the total prize fund was USD 110 million, three times higher than the 2019 tournament, but still only 25% of the men's World Cup 2022. When asked why the prize money gap between men and women remains large, FIFA President Gianni Infantino attributed the issue to broadcasters and sponsors. Television rights for the Women's World Cup are 100 times lower than for the men's, even though viewership can sometimes be comparable, and if lower, only by about 20%.

"If broadcasters pay USD 100 million for the men's World Cup, they only pay USD 1 million for the women's tournament," Infantino said. "The women's tournament deserves more, and we are here to fight for it, but we must fight together."

The FIFA President aims to equalize the prize money for the men's and women's World Cups by 2026 and 2027. However, this is a difficult task as the prize money for the 2026 World Cup is expected to increase further than 2022, with the number of men's teams expanding from 32 to 48.

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