FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman guaranteed that World Cup players would receive the bonus payments promised to them by FIFA when speaking to reporters at the FIFA Women’s Football Convention in Sydney on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Bareman said she “will personally be making sure that every dollar that gets paid that is for those players will end up in their bank accounts.”
- FIFA is doing safeguarding work to help tackle abuse in women’s soccer.
- Plans for a women’s Club World Cup are still in the works, Bareman said.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Why was Bareman asked about the payments?
Just before the tournament, FIFA announced that they would allot at least $30k bonus prize money for every player at the Women’s World Cup. However, FIFA would also be using their usual payment structure of these player bonuses by disbursing that money to the federation, and then requiring federations to disburse the money to the players.
In light of ongoing struggles between several teams and their federations over funding and support, such as the Nigerian national team resuming their campaign for overdue compensation from their federation, there has been widespread skepticism about all players receiving their money.
Why safeguarding is a crucial topic
Given how many teams at this World Cup and in various leagues around the world have made allegations of improper or abusive behavior against coaches or other officials, safeguarding is a critical topic in both men’s and women’s soccer. Bareman was asked if FIFA had made progress on a safeguarding entity.
“We’ve had some very clear and dedicated planning around safeguarding in this tournament not only for our players and teams, but also for all the volunteers, the staff, the fans and the attendees. I’m really proud of that,” she said. “That’s part of the legacy that this tournament will leave because we’re also working with the member associations in this region on those exact topics.
“I know women’s football is going to explode in these two host countries and also around the world, and we have to make sure that every young boy and girl that laces up their boots for the first time are coming into a safe environment. So we’ve taken some really important steps. My colleague, (FIFA’s Chief Social Responsibility and Education Officer) Joyce Cook, she’s working on the safe sport entity. She’s working alongside a lot of experts, UN agencies, other organizations that are experts in the areas of safeguarding.”
What’s happening with the women’s Club World Cup?
Bareman says FIFA is “well into the planning for a new Club World Cup.”
“It’s a very important step forward for women’s football,” she said. “And we need to make sure that in between the World Cups every four years that the club game is retaining the interest that we see from the World Cups, and a Club World Cup is a fantastic way to drive momentum in the leagues and the clubs.
“I don’t want to give away too much. But I can tell you we’re working on formats. We’re working on access. We’re working with the confederations and making sure that the qualifying pathways are activating also the leagues in all of their countries.”
Further reading
(Photo: Maja Hitij / FIFA via Getty Images)
