South Korea’s Women’s World Cup opener against Columbia ended up being a memorable occasion for Casey Phair. The player made her World Cup debut as a substitute during the game. And she also wrote her name in the history books in the process. The young star is officially the youngest player to make her World Cup debut.
The 16-year-old achieved the feat by entering the match during the second half. Aged 16 years and 28 days, Phair’s feat speaks volumes about her talent. The previous record, held by Nigerian striker Ifeanyi Chiejine, sat at 16 years and 34 days, meaning that Phair beat it by mere days. Besides this, the youngster is also the first multiracial Soccer player to be named to the South Korean Women’s team.
Born in South Korea, her parents hail from diverse backgrounds. Her father briefly lived in South Korea while teaching English in the nation. While her mother owned a restaurant in Korea. Following Phair’s birth, the family moved to the US. And it was in the States that South Korea International grew a liking towards Soccer.
16-year-old Casey Phair comes on for South Korea vs. Colombia and becomes the youngest player to ever play in a World Cup 🌟 pic.twitter.com/yA94VXrMEi
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 25, 2023
Shortly after turning 16, Phair briefly trained with the USWNT. However, she opted to switch allegiances after being called up by the South Korean senior team. She also admitted to feeling more at home with her teammates. Speaking on her debut, Phair said, “Going on, I was really, really nervous. It was a scary moment, but then going on and running around. I think it just settled in.”
Despite her best intentions, the player was unable to prevent South Korea from falling to a 2-0 defeat in their World Cup opener. Phair could be handed the opportunity to start in the nation’s next game against Morocco.
Casey Phair’s Salary for Representing South Korea Women’s National Team
While her exact wages and income are currently unknown, there is evidence to suggest that the player could be earning $30,000 for her participation in the World Cup. The information comes courtesy of FIFA, the global organization, itself. Back in June, the governing body stated that all participating players would receive a compensation of $30,00 at least. And a further $270,000 would be paid out to the tournament’s winners.
The World Cup payment would’ve been significant for most players, as the global average salary for professional women’s soccer players is $14,000. https://t.co/xFTy2FBicU
— FORTUNE (@FortuneMagazine) July 22, 2023
However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has since avoided making a guarantee regarding the same. Citing the lack of a mechanism to directly pay the players, Infantino has stated that the distribution will be left up to the Federations. It remains to be seen whether all 732 players will be paid fairly, including Casey Phair.