By Andrew Warshaw
June 12 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants to resurrect the concept of a ‘world league’ for women in order to generate additional revenue to help address the disparity in prize money compared to the men’s game.
With the women’s World Cup in full flow, Infantino has used the occasion to disclose he is keen to re-commence discussions about a global women’s league, first mooted a couple of years ago.
The idea was originally for an annual competition, possibly starting in 2020, featuring 16 of the world’s top women’s national teams, plus four regional leagues and a system of promotion and relegation.
The rationale was to develop global interest in the women’s game which, despite being at record levels, still lags way behind the men.
FIFA is investing $500 million in the women’s game over the next four years but Infantino has acknowledged there is more that can be done.
“We need to explore and exploit the potential for commercial revenues (for the women’s game) …because prize money is linked to revenues,” he said.
“What we have to do now is invest in women’s football competitions. I proposed at the FIFA congress in Bahrain two years ago a women’s world league.”
“It was, let’s say, put on hold but we will resuscitate it and bring it back to the table because we need to create a greater boost around women’s football. We need to commercialise it separately from men’s football.
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