FIFPro on Tuesday underscored the commercial potential of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup while calling for improved professional standards and equal prize money for players during a virtual press briefing.
According to a FIFPRO Asia-Oceania report titled Opportunities of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026, the tournament, to be hosted by Australia, could generate up to USD 82.4 million in revenue, making it the most valuable Women’s Asian Cup to date. Despite this growth, the report highlighted that many women footballers across Asia continue to face inadequate pay, medical care, staffing and facilities.
Drawing on player surveys from major international tournaments and independent commercial modelling, the report revealed that professional standards in women’s football across Asia remain well below global benchmarks. At the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, 87 per cent of players surveyed said pay and prize money required improvement, while 36 per cent did not undergo a full pre-tournament medical. Similar concerns were raised at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where a significant number of players reported low earnings and insufficient mental health support.
The briefing also highlighted disparities in prize money. The 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup offered USD 1.8 million in total prize money, significantly lower than comparable tournaments in other confederations, while only the top four teams received prize money.
FIFPro Asia-Oceania Secretary General Shoko Tsuji, speaking during the briefing, said the 2026 tournament represents a unique opportunity to address historical inequalities in women’s football across the region.
“The 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup represents an enormous opportunity to address historical inequalities and set a new standard for how women footballers are valued and supported across Asia,” Tsuji said. She added that the players’ proposals were both “affordable and transformative” and called for genuine partnership between players and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The report also published a letter sent to the AFC in December 2025, signed by players from seven of the 12 nations set to compete in the tournament. The players outlined a four-point vision calling for equal regulations and conditions aligned with the men’s Asian Cup, equal prize money, guaranteed player payments with at least 30 per cent of prize money distributed directly to players, and a co-designed legacy programme to accelerate the professionalisation of women’s football in Asia.
FIFPro said the tournament’s projected revenues show there is sufficient commercial potential to significantly improve player conditions if stakeholders work together.
