2019 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP | More news & notes The 24-team tournament will be played at nine stadiums across France over the course of the next month, with the final set for July 7 in Lyon,

THE LAST TIME: The United States won the last World Cup in 2015. Carli Lloyd scored three goals in the first 16 minutes to help give the Americans a 5-2 victory over Japan for their third overall World Cup title, most for any nation since the tournament was introduced in 1991. England was a surprising third-place finisher in Canada.

VAR: In March, FIFA approved the use of video review for the World Cup in France. The Video Assistant Referee system, or VAR, was used at the men’s World Cup in Russia last year.

PRIZE MONEY: The prize money for the World Cup will be $30 million, of which $4 million will go to the federation of the champion. While the total is double the prize money for the 2015 Women’s World Cup, it is a fraction of the $400 million in prize money for last year’s men’s World Cup, of which $38 million went to champion France. FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, says prize money for the 2022 men’s World Cup will be $440 million.

TICKET FIASCO: Some fans who ordered tickets to World Cup matches were surprised last month when they discovered their seats were not together. The issue was especially problematic for families bringing young children. After an outcry on social media, FIFA said it would work with the local organizing committee to resolve the issues .

Some fans recently reported tickets that had been delivered electronically were no longer available, with the message: “FIFA and the LOC are currently working on improving the seating arrangements for certain orders for a limited number of matches. If your order is affected, please expect to receive a dedicated communication shortly.”

TOO MANY TOURNAMENTS: FIFA has also been criticized for scheduling the World Cup final on the same day as the Copa America final in Rio and the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in Chicago. U.S. coach Jill Ellis pointedly said: “In my own personal opinion, playing three big matches in one day isn’t supporting the women’s game. So, there you go.”

Associated Press