FIFA to award record prize money to Women`s Champions Cup participants
A record-breaking prize money will be awarded to the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup winner, the world football governing body announced on Saturday.
The final champion of the Women's Champions Cup will receive 2.3 million U.S. dollars while the runner-up will earn one million, FIFA said.
The champions from every confederation will compete for the intercontinental club title. The two semifinals are scheduled at Brentford Stadium (Gtech Community Stadium) in London, Britain, on January 28. The final will be played at Arsenal Stadium (Emirates Stadium) on February 1.
The losing semi-finalists will each get a cash award of USD 200,000, whereas Auckland United FC (NZ) and Wuhan Chegu Jiangda WFC (China) who were eliminated in earlier rounds, will each receive a cash award of USD 100,000.
Gotham FC of the United States, the CONCACAF champion, will face SC Corinthians of Brazil, the CONMEBOL champion, in the first semifinal, while European champion Arsenal of England will take on CAF champion ASFAR of Morocco in the other.
In addition to the prize money awarded to the finalists, the other two losing teams will also receive 200,000 U.S. dollars each. The two teams eliminated in Round 1 and Round 2 - OFC representative Auckland United of New Zealand and AFC representative Wuhan Jiangda of China - will receive 100,000 dollars each.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said the prize structure shows the organization’s belief in the fast growth of women’s club soccer. It also shows their commitment to making long-term investments that improve competitions around the world.
"A total payout of close to USD 4 million distributed among the six participants based on their performance is a clear statement of the belief in women's club football and the players, teams and competitions driving its continued rise," said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom.
