Lionesses And FA Resolve Pay Dispute

The England women’s team has reached an agreement with the Football Association (FA) over pay and bonuses.

The long running dispute surrounded backpay for commercial appearances as well as performance and World Cup bonuses with talks paused before the recent Women’s World Cup in Australia.

England players at the World Cup were set to receive fees starting at $30,000 and rising to $270,000 for each member of the winning team, however, the FA decided not to offer the England team any bonus payments on top.

Speaking on Thursday (21st September) ahead of the Lionesses’ Nations League game against Scotland, England captain Millie Bright said the players “had a really good conversation with the FA” and were “confident moving forward about the structure we now have in place”.

Although exact financial details haven’t been released, it is thought that the FA significantly increased its offer in order to reach a deal.

Bright added, “We have come to an agreement but I think it’s bigger than just the bonus. For us it’s about being world leaders on and off the pitch, and as we know the women’s game is evolving very quickly and conversations like this need to happen in order to make sure in all areas we’re at the top of our game.

“It’s the whole package that comes with the women’s game. It is more than just finances, it’s everything to do with the next generation and making sure … We’re extremely lucky and privileged that we have excellent facilities, and we already set the tone in many areas. I think that those conversations are also just about checking in [with each other] so that if a problem does pop up we’re in a position where we can have an open, honest conversation and be more solution-based, and that’s why we felt really positive.

“I feel lucky that we’re in a position to come together and come to an agreement and actually moving forward building a new structure where we can have more of that open dialogue to make sure everything stays where it needs to be.”

Millie Bright