As a result of FIFA’s announcement that this year’s World Cup prize money will top $150 million, women’s athletes have made some progress in terms of pay fairness, but it still lags well behind the men’s competition.

The rise represents a 300 percent increase compared to the previous tournament in 2019, where the champions received only $30 million. In addition, it is ten times the amount paid in 2015.

The wage difference between male and female soccer players persists. The prize pool for last year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar was $440 million. FIFA has said that it intends to achieve pay equality by 2027.

“FIFA is not just speaking out, but also taking action. However, this is not true for everyone inside the industry.” Barron reports that FIFA president Gianni Infantino noted the continuing disparity in broadcasting and commercial partners payouts. “Give us 20 percent less, or 50 percent less, but not 100 percent less. Women deserve significantly more than that, and we are here to fight for and with them, but we must do so together.”

The announcement came just weeks after the U.S. Soccer Association reached a $24 million settlement with the U.S. women’s national team over salary inequality. In addition, the organization instituted a collective bargaining process involving the men’s and women’s national teams to pool and evenly distribute prize money last year.