Asian Cup finalists Australia and Japan say organisers "ignored" their pre-tournament request to address the inequality in prize money between the men's and women's events. The prize fund for the Asian Cup was reported to be $1.8m (£936,630), compared to $14.8m (£7.7m) for the men's equivalent. Japan beat Australia 1-0 in Sydney in front of 74,397 spectators - the biggest crowd in the competition's history. "Our pre-tournament invitation to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to work together on equal prize money, a guaranteed share to all players, and to co-develop a lasting legacy has so far been ignored. "Equal prize money would be transformational for all players and football communities across Asia and help raise standards at all levels of the game across our region.

Source: BBC April 03, 2026 07:13 UTC