FIFA Series: Why There is a Trophy but No Prize Money for Harambee Starlets

As Harambee Starlets prepare for their maiden FIFA Series campaign, there will be no immediate monetary gain if they win the mini-tournament.

Starlets will feature in the four-team tournament, that also includes Australia, India and Malawi, set to kick off on Saturday April 11 at Nyayo Stadium with the final and third-placed match being played four days later.

Kenya will face India while Australia takes on Malawi and the winners will play the final as the losers feature in the third-placed playoff.

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However, while there will be a trophy and medals for the top three teams, there will be no prize money at the tournament. This is because the FIFA Series are friendly matches organised by FIFA for teams from different confederations designed to lift the standards of the game.

“This is different from other tournaments like the World Cup or competitions that have prize money. In this one, the biggest gain for a country is FIFA ranking,” Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed said on Radio 47 on Thursday.

“Then at the end of the year, FIFA will do calculations of what tournaments you have featured in, TV rights and things like World Cup qualifiers so there is no immediate monetary gain but it will pay in future although the winner will get a trophy.”

Playing against Australia and India will be a particularly massive test for Starlets as they prepare for the delayed 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Australia are ranked 15th in the world while India are at position 67th and for the 134th-ranked Kenya, it will be beneficial for their preparations.

“It will help us see how far we are for the WAFCON. It was a blessing in disguise that it was postponed and it is good for us to play more friendlies before we go for the tournament,” Starlets coach Beldine Odemba said of the FIFA Series on Monday.

While there is no immediate cash incentive, Kenya will hope to gain valuable lessons from the FIFA Series as they look forward to WAFCON 2026, set to be played between July 25 and August 16 in Morocco.