Alex Culvin, Fifpro’s director of women’s football, leads the organisation behind a global employment report on the game. “Players are now very visible. Players are not only expected to be visible, but are obligated to be visible because of the low income to subsidise the lack of solid income they receive,” Culvin said.
The survey covered more than 800 women footballers across 30 national women’s leagues. It describes a game whose global revenue is projected to rise from about $581 million in 2024 to over $1 billion in 2027.
There has been measurable progress since 2017. Inflation-adjusted average monthly club wages have tripled to $2,601, while average contract length has risen from 12 months to 19 months and the share of players with agents has climbed from 14% to 41%. The median monthly wage, however, is $1,669.
Pay varies sharply between regions. Average monthly salaries are $6,450 in North America and $3,982 in Western Europe, compared with $878 in Eastern Europe and $480 in Africa. In 10 Eastern European countries surveyed, average salaries remain below the national minimum wage.
For many players, payment does not meet the costs of being a footballer. Just 57% said their pay covered those costs, while only two-thirds receive pay for the full 12 months and 24% experienced late payments over the past two seasons. Almost half, 47%, said their clubs did not have sufficient staff.
Formal protection is also uneven. Only 56% of players surveyed have a formal employment contract, and only 78% have any written contract at all. Pension provision is limited: 42% have none, and only 13% receive a pension from their clubs.
The pressure has consequences beyond a player’s bank account. Some 57% of those surveyed said they had struggled with their mental health, and half of those players received no support from their clubs. Psychological stress was cited by 46% of players considering leaving the game early, up from 13% in 2017.
Overall, 49% of players said they were considering leaving the game early. Financial reasons were cited by 59% of that group.
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