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According to Statista, England has a 22.2 percent chance of winning the 2023 World Cup.
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The total stadium attendance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is forecast to reach 1.5 million.
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Each player at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will earn a minimum of 30,000 U.S. dollars in prize money.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has expressed, as reported on SportsProMedia.com, her deep disappointment and hurt over the fact that Nike has not made her Lionesses shirt available for fans to purchase.
While the sportswear brand has made England women’s kits worn by outfield players accessible to retailers, it seems that goalkeeper shirts are not part of Nike’s commercial strategy. This decision has left both players and fans frustrated, and it appears that other high-profile goalkeepers from various national teams are facing the same issue with Nike.
A Missed Opportunity for Women’s Sport
Despite winning the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 last summer, fans were unable to purchase Earps’ kit during the tournament. Assurances were given that the issue would be resolved ahead of the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. However, Earps was left disheartened and hurt after learning that her kit would not be put on sale only when the Lionesses’ outfield kit hit the shelves. This revelation has raised concerns and highlighted the need for greater consideration of women’s sport in the commercial plans of sportswear giants like Nike.
Championing Female Athletes
Mary Earps, who was named The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper for 2022, had been actively seeking a resolution to this kit conundrum with both Nike and the Football Association (FA). Despite the FA allocating some of its technical budget to address the issue, no breakthrough has been achieved so far. The situation has also affected prominent goalkeepers from the US and Australia squads, showing that this is a more widespread problem within Nike’s strategy.
A Commercial Oversight
Nike’s decision not to sell goalkeeper shirts for teams in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, along with rival brand Adidas, raises eyebrows, particularly considering the ongoing efforts by both companies to champion women’s sport and female athletes. Earps’ kit with Manchester United in the Women’s Super League (WSL) sold out last season, indicating the growing popularity of women’s football. Thus, the exclusion of certain kits from commercial plans appears to be a missed opportunity for both Nike and Adidas to further support and celebrate women in sport.
Moving Forward
The current situation has left little positive impact, and Mary Earps hopes for a commitment from Nike to ensure that such oversights do not happen again in the future. With the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on the horizon, the sportswear giant has an opportunity to rectify this issue and demonstrate its genuine dedication to supporting women’s football.
