Ball – Infantino asks for a fair price and threatens to leave Europe without broadcasting the Women’s World Cup (FIFA)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has once again asked European broadcasters to buy the rights to the Women’s World Cup, which will take place from July 20 to August 20 in New Zealand and Australia – with Portugal participating for the first time – by paying a fair price.

According to Infantino, the proposals that arrived, at a time when there were already sales to the United States and Brazil, are very unsatisfactory, which is why the FIFA president threatened to leave Europe’s top five without a World Cup.

To be clear: we consider it a moral and legal obligation not to sell rights for less than they are worth. He said that offers from broadcasters, especially from the “big five” European countries, are still very disappointing and simply unacceptable.

“One hundred percent of this revenue will be reinvested directly into women’s football as part of our efforts to promote equal conditions and wages. Public channels, in particular, therefore have a duty to promote and invest in women’s sport.” The Women’s World Cup audience of 50 corresponds To 60% of the men’s World Cup, but the offers of the broadcasters in the “big five” are 20 to 100 times less – while the channels pay 100 to 200 million euros for the men’s World Cup, they only offer 10 million to the female. It’s a slap in the face to all the great players And, indeed, to all women in the world », he also attacked, leaving an ultimatum:

“So, if the bids continue to be unfair, we will be forced to not broadcast the World Cup in Europe’s ‘big five’. I call on all players, men and women, fans, managers, chiefs and journalists around the world to support this call for a fair reward for women’s football.”

The time difference was reduced for New Zealand and Australia, who would take the matches broadcast at dawn: “I know the games won’t be in prime time, but even so, with some at 9 or 10 in the morning, be reasonable enough.”

The Portuguese national team will appear for the first time in the World Cup finals and will start against the Netherlands (July 23), then Vietnam (27), and in the last match of Group E, the United States (August 1).