Lionesses thrash out World Cup bonus payments deal with FA

21 September 2023 , 16:09

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The Lionesses made it all the way to the World Cup final (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The Lionesses have thrashed out a deal with the Football Association over their bonus payments.

Sarina Wiegmen's squad came to an agreement after sitting down with FA bigwigs earlier this week - defusing the row that threatened to overshadow their World Cup bid.

England headed Down Under in July with no concrete figures in place and agreed to shelve discussions so as not to have the subject hanging over them during the tournament. The squad is understood to have wanted a £100,000 additional fee each on top of prize money distributed by FIFA that totalled over £150,000 per player for reaching the final.

A spokesman for the FA would not confirm details but Lionesses skipper Millie Bright did confirm that a solution had been found. She said: "We've come to an agreement. It's bigger than just about the bonus. We want to become world leaders on and off the pitch.

"The women's game is evolving very quickly - all the time - and conversations like this need to happen to make sure we're at the top of the game in all areas. As players, we feel really confident in the structure we now have in place, moving forward.

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"We already have amazing facilities but the conversations are about checking in, building relationships so that if a problem does crop up we can have an honest conversation. We're passionate about the next generation - where the game is and what we represent. We’ll continue to stand by our values."

The Lionesses were beaten by Spain in the final (Getty Images)

Wiegman was happy the two parties had finally worked out their differences. She said: "I expected this. There has been communication following the World Cup and this makes me very happy because it's good for the players and the women's game to move forward and take the next step. It's good for us - we can focus on football - we did that at the World Cup because this didn’t distract us."

England kick off their bid for Nations League glory at a sell-out Stadium of Light tonight where they host Scotland in what is their first home fixture since the heartbreak in Sydney.

Bright said: "It's a game we want to go out and win. Our mentality is that we want to get back out there, perform, and have a solid performance. That's where our heads are at. We know some of the Scotland players. Both teams know each other extremely well, so maybe that rivalry will make it extra fiery."

Neil Moxley