England's Euro 2022 semi-final v Sweden will dominate the TV schedules tonight, with around 10 million people expected to tune in
The women's game has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, with huge viewing figures at the World Cup, and now the Euros. The El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona set a capacity record of 90,000 at the Camp Nou earlier this year. So how much are the players paid?
It is a well known fact that women footballers are paid considerably less than men, and a lot of this is down to the money generated through big tournaments and matches. The women's game now has an incredibly positive forecast, and the future looks bright, nbut they are still a long way behind.
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The Women's Super League is one of the most competitive and professional in world football, and features an abundance of talent, from Sam Kerr to Vivianne Miedema. However, the salary in the WSL can be as low as £20,000 per year in some cases, reports The Telegraph.
Some players are even being reportedly 'priced out' of playing professional football, due to the low starting wage and lack of opportunities. There are other players however, who have been offered in excess of £300,000 per year, so there are drastic differences in wages. The average yearly salary in the WSL is said to be £30,000.
It has been reported by SportBible that the highest paid female footballer was the USA's Carli Lloyd, who earned over £432,000 per year before her retirement in August 2021. Sam Kerr is now said to be the top earner in the women's game, earning over £400,000 a year. The highest paid male footballer according to Forbes, is Lionel Messi, who earns £62 million per year before endorsements.
With regard to national team salaries, times are changing and numerous national sides pay their men's and women's teams equally. These sides include England, Brazil, Australia and Norway. England earn roughly £2,000 per match, according to National World.
It has been reported that if England win this summer’s Euro tournament then they will receive the ‘most generous’ bonus in the FA’s history, with each player getting £55,000, according to the Telegraph.
888Sport compiled a list of the highest paid players, Lloyd tops the list, despite her retirement last year.
Highest-paid women's footballers
- Carli Lloyd (retired): £432,000 ($518,000)
- Sam Kerr: £417,000 ($500,000)
- Alex Morgan: £375,000 ($450,000)
- Megan Rapinoe: £373,000 ($447,000)
- Julie Ertz: £359,000 ($430,000)
- Ada Hegerberg: £355,000 ($425,000)
- Marta: £334,000 ($400,000)
Five of those players ply their trade in the National Women's Soccer League in the US. In the UK, the Women's Super League only went fully professional in 2018, and after such an impressive increase in viewing figures in recent years, there is great scope for more wage increases in the UK in years to come.
With the recent success of the Euro 2022 competition, it only adds to the notion that the women's game is making rapid gains in the footballing world.
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