England players expressed “disappointment” on Tuesday that talks with the Football Association (FA) over bonus payments and commercial structures would not be resolved before the start of the women’s World Cup.
In a statement from the team posted on social media by captain Millie Bright, the European champions said they would “pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament”.
England’s campaign at the showpiece tournament in Australia and New Zealand starts when they face Haiti in Brisbane on Saturday.
“Last year we presented the FA with concerns relating to our bonus and commercial payments,” said the statement issued on behalf of the Lionesses. “The hope was that discussions would lead to a solution before the World Cup.
“We are disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved.”
But the statement added: “With our opening game on the horizon, we Lionesses have decided to pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them after the tournament…We look forward to playing for our country this World Cup, with pride, passion and perseverance.”
Last month FIFA, football’s global governing body, announced a new financial distribution model that would apply to this year’s World Cup.
Players will now be guaranteed performance-related remuneration directly from FIFA, with amounts increasing the further a team goes in the tournament, ranging from $30,000 (£23,000) per player for the group stage to $270,000 (£206,000) to each champion.
Previously, it was up to individual national governing bodies to decide how money was allocated.
England players were understood to have been left disappointed by the FA’s failure to follow the lead of the Australian and American federations –- where collective bargaining agreements apply –- in paying bonuses on top of the prize money being paid to players directly by FIFA.
