Matildas & Japan Demand Equal Pay in Asian Cup

0:00The Matotas and Japan's women's team just dropped a joint letter blasting the prize money for the women's Asian cup. The women's tournament wrapped with $2,620,000 total, way less than the $21,540,000 for the men's version last year. It's the lowest payout among all continental counts worldwide. That amount has embushed since the 2022 edition, while the men got $200,000 just for showing up. The event in Australia drew record crowds with 355,528 fans across venues, peeking at 74,397 for Japan's 1-0 final win over the Matilda's on March 21st. Players kept quiet during the tournament to stay focused, but now they're speaking out on the inequality hurting women's soccer in Asia. The success on and off the field makes the gap even more glaring, and they say equal pay could lift standards everywhere in the region. In their statement, they called out the Asian Football Confederation for ignoring their pre-tunament push for shared prizes and a real legacy.

1:03Their eyeing FIFA's promise of equal money for the 2027 women's world cup in Brazil. This push from fierce rivals shows unity building momentum, expect more noise until parody hits the pitch across Asia. You've been listening to Adelaide News today. AI-powered local news.