Lionesses FINALLY reach £800,000 bonus agreement with the FA after players paused talks before the World Cup – as vice-captain Millie Bright hails ‘extremely positive’ breakthrough

• The England women’s team have finally settled their bonus dispute with the FA
• Discussions were previously halted by the Lionesses before the World Cup
• Click here to watch the IAKO Battle of Old Trafford YouTube Special from the Mail Sport Studios

 England’s Lionesses will receive £800,000 after finally reaching an agreement with the Football Association over World Cup bonuses.

Sarina Wiegman’s squad had been at loggerheads with the governing body before the tournament after they had been told they would not receive extra money on top of FIFA’s payments.

Discussions between senior players and FA officials took place this week and a collective sum of £800,000 – which covers commercial back-payments from last year’s European Championship as well as World Cup bonuses – has been agreed.

Each member of the World Cup squad received around £150,000 each from FIFA for reaching the final as part of a new pay structure which saw players directly compensated. Previously, it was up to federations as to whether they would distribute prize money to players.

The Lionesses wanted additional bonuses from the FA while there was also a frustration over a strict social media blackout which prevented players from securing commercial deals. 

England’s Lionesses have finally reached an agreement with the Football Association over World Cup bonuses

Sarina Wiegman’s team had been locked in talks with the FA over World Cup bonus payments

Discussions over bonuses were paused before England’s opening game at the World Cup

Discussions were paused before England’s opening game, with players deciding to focus on football, but resumed ahead of this month’s Nations League fixtures with Scotland and the Netherlands.

While players are happy an agreement has now been reached, Mail Sport understands they will push to formalise a collective bargaining agreement which will eliminate the need for such discussions in the future.

‘We have come to an agreement, but I think it is bigger than just the bonus,’ Bright said.

‘We have had a really good conversation with the FA and expressed that we want to be world leaders, both on and off the pitch. We had a really positive conversation and I think that conversation was needed.

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England vice-captain Millie Bright revealed ongoing talks between the parties were ‘positive’

‘The conversations will be ongoing moving forward between the leadership team and the FA, with the support of the PFA, and we are really positive that moving forward things will be different. But it was overall very, very good.

‘As we know the women’s game is evolving very quickly and conversations like this need to happen in order to make sure in all areas we are at the top of our game.

‘The conversation was extremely positive and as players we feel really confident moving forward about the structure we now have in place.

‘I think moving forward our aim, as female footballers, is to make sure these conversations don’t have to happen, and we keep moving the game in a place where it kind of takes care of itself.’

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