
- The 25-year-old striker was one of the stars of Panama's debut Women's World Cup
- A year on from Australia and New Zealand 2023, Hernandez reflects on the conditions she enjoyed and the per-player prize money she received
- Hernandez highlights the unity and strength of more than 150 internationals who, together with FIFPRO and its member unions, initiated the demand to FIFA for better and fairer standards during the tournament
Erika Hernandez is synonymous with football in Panama. Ever since she was five years old, when she played in the street outside her home in Samaria with her siblings and neighbours, football has been part of her daily life. In 2023, that love affair came to a head: she was one of 23 Panamanians who travelled to Australia and New Zealand for the country’s debut Women's World Cup.
"The first thing I did when I saw the ball go in was run and scream until I had tears in my eyes. It was a World Cup," recalls Hernandez to FIFPRO about Panama's big moment in the tournament – Marta Cox's goal against France – which was the first Women's World Cup goal for Las Canaleras.
A year has now passed since the big event and, along with the memories of an unforgettable experience, there are also those of a tournament that marked a before and after for the players due to the substantial improvement in player conditions. "As footballers, we felt important,” says Hernandez, in a simple phrase that sums up the spirit of the World Cup.
The striker, who plays club football with Colombia’s Internacional de Palmira, is studying at the University of Panama to become a physical education teacher.
"The prize money we received for the World Cup helped me pay for my university studies. Financially it helped me, my brother, my whole family. So, I think it was very important," Hernandez says.
"I was able to fix a lot of things here at home. My mum sells meals every day and I was able to contribute so that she can continue her business. The prize money is still helping me because, thank God, my parents taught me how to manage my money. So, I'm still helping and I'm still contributing because I knew how to do things well."

Beyond the performance-based prize money, the scale of the event that the Panamanian internationals encountered surprised them in relation to what they are used to. “We were impressed by the stage. When we got there, we didn't expect the amount of people in the stadiums, in the hotels, the great treatment we were given. I think that surprised us. We really enjoyed it."
For the 2023 Women's World Cup, FIFA offered the delegations the same conditions and service levels as for the men's World Cup in Qatar, including international travel, the level of domestic travel during the competition, the implementation of the team base camp concepts and the level of accommodation, as well as the maximum number of staff in each delegation.
"The coaching staff increased and that helped us a lot as players, because you need massages and everything else. We also had good experiences on the training pitches. Here in Panama before we went to the World Cup, the pitch we were training on was very difficult because it was small and had a lot of holes. And it was synthetic, not natural. The coaches knew how to use the quantity and quality of the pitches we had at our disposal. The size also helped us a lot."


Collective action
While the improved conditions and prize money for women’s players may have been confirmed by FIFA in June 2023, the process began in earnest eight months before. In October 2022, FIFPRO, its affiliated unions and more than 150 women players from 25 national teams sent a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino with a series of demands in the run-up to the World Cup in what was the largest piece of collective action ever undertaken in women’s football.
"The girls who came together, the great effort they made, leaves a very good message for everyone because it was achieved thanks to the unity, the strength, the desire of each player. This has been a great experience for women's football and not only for us, the current players, but also for the girls who will come in future because they deserve better," reflects Hernandez.
At 25, Hernandez is hopeful that the improved conditions she enjoyed could one day be transferred to her country: "At the World Cup we saw great things that we're not used to. Here in Panama, women's football would need a lot more effort and publicity for it to be seen a little more and for it to grow. Our union Afutpa has helped us a lot and we are fighting for more things because there is still a lot to be recognised. But going to the World Cup has given us a boost."