England boss Sarina Wiegman says she has not spoken to squad over FA bonus row ahead of Women's World Cup
Sky Sports News reported last week that the England players remained unhappy no FA bonuses are being offered to them; the Lionesses believe they deserve direct payments from the FA on top of what they will earn from FIFA; England face Canada in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday
Thursday 13 July 2023 19:14, UK
Sarina Wiegman says she has not spoken to the England squad about their row with the FA over their World Cup bonus but believes the issue needs to be sorted.
Sky Sports News reported last week that the players remained unhappy no FA bonuses are being offered to them for the tournament.
The players are adamant they deserve direct payments from the FA, above and beyond what they will earn from FIFA, although the FA's position is that players are already receiving a 300 per cent pay rise compared to the last World Cup.
- England players 'unhappy' over lack of FA bonus
- Women's World Cup 2023: Teams, schedule, fixtures
- Why Sarina Wiegman's obsession with detail gives Lionesses edge
- Get Sky Sports | Download the Sky Sports App
However, Wiegman believes it has not been a topic of discussion in camp and it will not be a distraction when England open their campaign on July 22 against Haiti in Brisbane.
"Players haven't spoken to me about it," she told Sky Sports News. "We've been focusing on football and that is what I have seen.
"They're focused on football in meetings. I don't see any problems. I know that it is something that needs to be solved and I hope for a quick solution.
"I am not involved in those discussions. I hope it's solved quickly before the tournament starts."
Under a new model, players will receive payments directly from FIFA, with amounts increasing the deeper teams go in the tournament. They range from £23,367 per athlete for the group stage to £210,305 allotted to each champion.
Previously, it was up to individual national governing bodies to decide how money was allocated but some federations have agreed to additional payments in 2023.
Wiegman: Players happy with armband solution
Wiegman, who led England to their first major trophy at last summer's home Euros, was more forthcoming when asked how her team feels about FIFA's solution to the 'One Love' armband debate that swirled around the men's World
Cup in Qatar last autumn.
Captains of the nations involved in the 'One Love' campaign, including England and Wales, were threatened with sporting sanctions starting at a yellow card if the rainbow bands were worn, because they would have been a breach of FIFA equipment regulations.
The bands were seen as a potent symbol of tolerance in a country where same-sex relationships are criminalised.
Instead, FIFA has partnered with the UN to create eight stakeholder-sanctioned armbands that can be swapped out or worn throughout the month-long tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Alongside inclusion, the other causes being highlighted are 'unite for indigenous peoples', 'unite for gender equality', 'unite for peace', 'unite for education for all', 'unite for zero hunger', 'unite for ending violence against women' and 'football is joy, peace, love, hope and passion'.
Team captains will also have the option to wear a 'football unites the world' armband for the entire tournament, if they do not wish to choose a single cause or support different causes round by round.
None directly advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, of which a record number of players in the 2023 World Cup - including some Lionesses - are a part, so the decision has drawn some criticism.
Wiegman said: "I think the players are happy with the solution. I think first of all it is good there is a solution ahead of the tournament.
"I think that with the armband, the team can have a voice and now it is up to the team what armband they want to wear. I think we are in a really good place with it.
"The players will decide and they will live by their values anyway. And we as staff will support them in any choice they make."
When and where is the 2023 Women's World Cup?
This year's tournament will be held in Australia and New Zealand making it the first-ever co-hosted Women's World Cup.
The tournament starts on July 20 with the final taking place on August 20 in Sydney at the Accor Stadium.
The USA are the defending champions and are looking to become the first team in the competition's history to win the tournament three times in a row.
