Lucy Bronze Reveals Lionesses Squad Are Unhappy With FA

Lucy Bronze is frustrated that a deal has not yet been reached over performance-based bonuses for the Lionesses at the Women’s World Cup this summer. With the implementation of a new FIFA regulation for the Women’s World Cup, players will get a predetermined bonus based on their performance.

As a result, every player from the nation that lifts the trophy would receive $270,000 (£210,000), while all players who are eliminated at the group stage will receive $30,000 (£23,000). The Women’s World Cup is this summer. The Football Association (FA) and the Lionesses have been discussing individual performance-related bonuses for the team. However no deal has yet been reached. The Professional Footballers’ Association is still supporting the Lionesses players in those negotiations, and it is hoped that a solution can be reached with the FA.

Lucy said: “Someone like [former England captain] Steph Houghton previously is someone who did a lot of work behind the scenes that probably wasn’t reported on and people didn’t know as much about. I think we’re in a similar situation now, and I think the point of the players and everyone involved in women’s football is about taking it to the next level and pushing the ceiling, not wanting to have a ceiling put on our game, and making sure we leave the game in a better place than what we found it.”

Previously in World Cups, prize money had been paid directly to individual footballing associations. It was therefore down to each individual nation’s discretion to decide how much the players would be paid from the prize fund. However, that is no longer the case.

For the first time, the English FA stands to lose money on this World Cup, no matter how well the team does. This is due to the costs of hotels, flights, equipment, and support staff. Conversely, the players feel aggrieved the FA is not prepared to fund these extra bonuses, rather than allowing FIFA to foot the bill.

Lucy says the Lionesses stand to earn, on average, 60% more for their appearance at this World Cup compared with the one from four years ago. Rewards for failing to reach the knockout stages are 300% higher this time compared with 2019, and 700% higher than in 2015. The tournament gets underway when New Zealand host Norway on July 20. England begin their World Cup game on July 22 against Haiti.