Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon and Malawi will each receive $2.5m (£1.87m; about €2.15m) from FIFA to prepare for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The funding forms part of a major increase in financial support for all 32 participating nations. It is the same preparation allowance given to each of the 48 teams competing at the 2026 men’s World Cup, and will be made available to the qualified associations before next December.

The tournament will take place in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027, with the announcement made by FIFA on Thursday, eight months before the competition begins.

For the four African representatives, the preparation allocations amount to a combined $10m. The money is separate from the participation and performance bonuses for the tournament itself, with full details of those payments due to be confirmed in December.

FIFA’s Bureau of the Council also approved higher minimum guaranteed payments for players, increased compensation for clubs and improved team facilities and services. The participating women’s teams are expected to receive conditions equivalent to those provided for the men at the 2026 World Cup.

The scale of the preparation funding is highlighted by a comparison with the recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The Confederation of African Football increased the competition’s total prize fund by 67% in July, taking it from $3.475m to $5.8m. Cameroon, who won the tournament, received $2m, while losing finalists Malawi collected $750,000.

Algeria, who finished third, were awarded $500,000, while fourth-placed Morocco received slightly less.

That means FIFA’s $2.5m preparation payment alone is $500,000 more than the amount awarded to Cameroon for winning the continental title.

The new funding represents a significant increase in resources for the four qualified associations, but attention will now turn to how the money is used.

Alongside preparations for the World Cup, the challenge will be to convert the additional funds into long-term investment in women’s football across Africa.