The England Lionesses take on Spain in the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup this Sunday (20 August) and are due to receive a huge top-up to their wages if they win.
The UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 champions are currently on the hunt for their next trophy - the coveted Women’s World Cup.
Earlier this week, Sarina Wiegman’s 23-woman side beat co-host nation Australia in the semi's and booked their place in the competition’s final for the first time.
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On Wednesday (16 August), The Lionesses opened the scoring against The Matildas in the 36th minute, with Ella Toone finding home in the right-hand corner of the Aussie’s net.
Australian captain Sam Kerr equalised in the 63rd minute, sending a powerful shot beyond the reaches of Manchester United’s Mary Earps.
However, eight minutes after Kerr buried the ball, Lauren Hemp put England ahead again before Arsenal’s Alessia Russo sealed the deal and made the scoreline 3-1.
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Due to fine finishing and glorious teamwork, interim captain Millie Bright will now lead her squad out at Stadium Australia for their first-ever Women’s World Cup final.
There, they will meet heavyweight opponents Spain - who have also flown through the tournament.
Having played all of their games in New Zealand, La Roja has ploughed through the likes of Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands to book their place in the final.
Captained by Ivana Andres, Jorge Vilda’s team will be hoping to lift the champion's title away from the Lionesses’ fingertips.
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As the first English senior team to reach a World Cup final since the men’s iconic 1966 campaign, England are set to cash in if they reign victorious.
As per TalkSPORT, the Lionesses will be awarded £213,000 each by FIFA for winning the Women’s World Cup.
However, if they fail to snatch victory away from the Spanish team, then they will still be awarded £167,000 for being the tournament runners-up.
While the Lionesses are in the running for a big wad of cash, this year all 32 teams will benefit from FIFA’s £86.25 million prize pot.
Squads such as Haiti and Germany - who made exits from the group stages - will take home £24,000 each.
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Round of 16 teams like Nigeria, South Africa and the US Women’s National Team have earned themselves £47,000.
Quarter-finalists Japan and Colombia will receive £70,000 each from the FIFA prize pots, while semi-final teams Sweden and Australia are on track to claim at least £128,000.
Whilst £213,000 is a mind-boggling payout from FIFA, the Lionesses are still unfortunately embroiled in a dispute with the FA regarding bonuses.
Prior to the tournament commencing on 20 July, the squad posted a statement via Instagram with concerns regarding 'commercial structures' and the 'growth of Women’s Football in England'.
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They wrote: “Last year we presented the FA with concerns relating to our bonus and commercial structures. The hope was that full discussions would lead to a solution before the commencement of our World Cup.
“We are disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved. We view the successful conclusion of these discussions, through player input and a transparent long term plan, as key for the growth of Women’s Football in England.”
Further on in the statement, which has been signed by players such as Lotte Wubben-Moy, Lauren James and Lucy Bronze, they said that their discussions have been 'paused'.
It’s stated that the England team have a 'strong sense of responsibility to grow the game' and that their focus switched immediately to the tournament.
They ended the collective post by writing: “We look forward to playing for our country this World Cup, with pride, passion, and perseverance.”
The Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England will take place this Sunday (20 August) at 11 am BST.
The match is being held at the 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia in Sydney, and will see either the Lionesses or La Roja lifting the trophy for the very first time.
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