Australia, Japan Slam AFC Over Pay Inequality in Women's Asian Cup

Australia, Japan slam AFC over Women's football funding

Australia and Japan women's teams call out Asian Football Confederation for ignoring pay inequality concerns after record-breaking Women's Asian Cup.

“This tournament was played against a backdrop of real challenges that the AFC and the players need...”

Australia and Japan's women's football teams are speaking out against the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for ignoring their concerns about pay inequality. The teams, who were finalists in the Women's Asian Cup, claim the AFC dismissed their invitation to discuss equal prize money before the tournament.

The teams are also urging FIFA to meet its target of equal prize money for the men's and women's World Cups. They believe equal pay would not only benefit players but also raise standards across the region. The Women's Asian Cup had a prize pool of $1.8 million, which is significantly lower than the $14.8 million for the men's tournament.

“Despite the success of this tournament, it remains the lowest-paying continental tournament in the ‌world and inequality between the men’s and women's ⁠game remains,” the Australia and Japan ‌women's teams said in a statement.

“Our pre-tournament invitation to the AFC to work together on equal prize money, a guaranteed share to all players, and to co-develop a lasting legacy has so far been ignored.”

The 12 nations at the Asian Cup hosted by Australia competed for a prize pool of US$1.8m, about 12% of the 2023 men's Asian Cup in Qatar.

This is the lowest prize money among recent women's continental competitions, half of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations pool (US$3.47m).

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) hasn't responded to concerns about pay inequality, despite launching the Women's Champions League in 2024 to develop the women's game. Critics argue progress is slow, and prize money remains a major issue.

The men's World Cup, happening from June 11 to July 19, has a staggering $727 million prize pool for 48 nations competing in the US, Canada, and Mexico. In contrast, the Women's Asian Cup had a $1.8 million prize pool, sparking calls for equal pay.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has set a target for equal prize money for the men's and women's World Cups by 2027, with Brazil hosting the women's tournament. This move aims to address the long-standing issue of gender pay inequality in football.

💸Prize money for
Women's Asian Cup: $1.8 million
Men's Asian Cup: $14.8 million

📉Women get 12% of the total for men's event

𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼… pic.twitter.com/t0YvXZMbzS

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) April 2, 2026

The prize money for the women's World Cup has already seen a significant increase, from $30 million in 2019 to $110 million for the 2023 tournament, with an additional $40 million for team preparation and club releases. Infantino has expressed his commitment to achieving equal pay, stating that FIFA is not holding back, but rather, broadcasters and TV networks are not offering enough money for the women's tournament.

“As we look forward, we expect FIFA to honour its pledge of equal prize money for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and we will continue to fight for equality and respect for women players across our region,” Australia and Japan said.

The Women's Asian Cup broke attendance records, with Japan's win drawing 74,397 fans to Sydney's Stadium Australia. Despite the success, players are frustrated with the gender inequality in funding.

South Korea's players even threatened to boycott the tournament last year over poor conditions, highlighting the disparity in resources. 

India's women's team faced a kit crisis, receiving undersized gear meant for junior teams, forcing staff to scramble for local alternatives.

“This tournament was played against a backdrop of real challenges that the AFC and the players need to work in partnership to address,” Australia and Japan said, highlighting the need for improvement.