Gone are the days when women played for juice and a sandwich. But, most female soccer players are still in a “precarious situation,” with contracts for providing services to green receipts and subsistence allowances.
The dream of making a living from soccer makes many of them accept playing based on the promise of something better and bigger, such as a decent salary and the profession of a soccer player.
And the truth is that the number of professionals continues to grow and that also says a lot about the evolution of the sport.
According to our investigation, the asymmetries and discrepancy between pure amateurism, professionalism, and an intermediate plan are reflected in monthly wages ranging from the mandatory minimum wage of $800 to $10,000.
For example, in the Portuguese women’s soccer league, of the 125 professionals, only about a quarter exceeds 3500 dollars. If the best paid in the ZSA receives 8000 euros, the best paid in Sporting receives 4500 euros clean, for example. In SP Braga, the contractual average is around 2000 dollars/month, although some players receive more than that.
But without further ado, let’s dive into details!
How Much Do Pro Women’s Soccer Players Make?
Women’s football began to be more valued in recent years. However, female players still don’t get what they really deserve, especially when
comparing the performance of female professional athletes with male players.
It is undeniable that there is a discrepancy between wages based on gender. A survey carried out in 2019 by the magazine “France Football,” one of the most renowned in the segment, showed that the sum of the five highest salaries in women’s football totaled €1.79 million – the equivalent of about $1.88 million.
For comparative purposes, in the ranking made by the magazine, Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg, considered the best in the world in 2018, earns €400,000 per season, 102 times less than what is paid to Lionel Messi.
When converting the amount into a monthly salary, the Lyon player receives around $35,000. On the other hand, Messi earns $3.5 million per month. As a protest against this disparity, Ada Hegerberg announced that she would not participate in the Women’s World Cup in France.
The best female soccer player can vary annually, as the competition on the field of play is considerable. This also affects her earnings, especially since it depends a lot on where she plays.
It’s not the same if an athlete plays in an English league or Spanish/Portuguese.
Alex Morgan is not only one of the top performers on the court but also one of the highest earners. She can earn almost 410 thousand dollars a season, although this cannot be compared to professional men’s football.
One of the players who are also recognized for their performance and high income is Samantha Kerr, who can earn up to 502,000 dollars a year as the top Australian scorer. Midfielder Carli Lloyd is not far behind since she currently earns more than 480 thousand dollars per season in the United States team.
Countries like the United States, France, and England are the ones that are recognizing the constant work of their athletes, giving them the best money figures worldwide.
As for Spain, the Barca players have the greatest privileges, although they cannot be compared with their peers in other countries. The salary of each of them is 200 thousand dollars per year on average, thanks to different agreements. Although, team representatives such as Lieke Martens can reach the amount of 280 thousand dollars.
How Woman Soccer Players Are Sometimes Compensated
There are amateur and professional type contracts. And then there is the so-called “false amateurism” or “semi-professionalism,” which reflects the inability of clubs to bear the associated taxes or simply save some change and not have the tax on their legs.
Professional contracts have clauses, awards, and objectives like those in men’s soccer. In fact, there are clubs that, perhaps because they use the men’s minutes, express that the contract is valid after being registered.
When it comes to money, silence reigns, even more so when one admits resorting to strategies to circumvent the law without needing to, of course.
Some players make soccer their main or exclusive source of income but sign agreements for the payment of subsistence allowances – accommodation, food, or travel expenses upon presentation of expenses/invoices.
Others sign contracts qualified as service provision, where in some cases, they are required to issue green receipts between 300 and 600 dollars in Europe.
In the specific case of subsistence allowances, the amounts are generally lower, but it all depends on the verbal agreement. The values are never the same two months in a row to avoid being seen with a hidden salary for allowance.
Some clubs make contracts and still pay outside allowances. This way, clubs save with IRS and Social Security taxes.
It is also usual for clubs to resort to green receipts at the time of the first contract.
The athlete opens a sports activity, issues a receipt, and is exempt from discounts for a year. That’s why there are so many one-time contracts.
The 10 Highest-Paid Women Soccer Players in the World
The salary differences in men’s and women’s football are enormous, but even top soccer players don’t earn as they should. Here are the ten highest-paid female players in the world:
10. Lucy Bronze
Lucy Bronze tops the list. The defender made her breakthrough in England, moving to Olympique Lyon in 2017. At the top French club, Bronze earns a gross salary of $210,000 annually.
9. Vivianne Miedema
Vivianne Miedema is a household name for fans of the women’s Bundesliga. The striker played for FC Bayern Munich from 2014 to 2017 and has been chasing goals for Arsenal FC’s women’s team for the past five years. In London, the Dutch woman collects 270,000 dollars a year.
8. Martha
Marta is one of the best footballers in history. The 34-year-old Brazilian was named World Player of the Year six times between 2006 and 2018, has now been playing for the Selecao for 18 years, and has been active in the USA for three years. At Orlando Pride, she collects 356,000 dollars per year.
7. Wendie Renard
For many years, Wendie Renard has been an icon at Olympique Lyon and in the France national team. The defender has already celebrated 13 championships and six titles in the Champions League and was also selected for the world selection in 2015. Her annual salary is 364,000 dollars.
6. Amandine Henry
Amandine Henry also celebrated numerous titles in Lyon. After a stint at Portland Thorns FC, including a loan to Paris Saint-Germain, she has been back at OL for over two years. There she receives 380,000 dollars per year.
5. Carli Lloyd
Carli Lloyd can already look back on a successful career, but even at the age of 37, she is not yet thinking of ending her active career. The two-time world champion, Olympic champion and world soccer player is about to make her 300th international match for the USA and has also been playing for Sky Blues FC since 2018. Her salary amounts to 415,000 dollars.
4. Ada Hegerberg
Ada Hegerberg is also one of the top players in women’s football. The Norwegian has been at Lyon since 2014, scoring 144 goals in 118 games and winning the Ballon d’Or in 2018. Her salary is 430,000 dollars.
3. Megan Rapinoe
Just ahead of Hegerberg, Megan Rapinoe lands on the podium. The American, who campaigned for racism off the pitch and was honored with the Board Director’s Award of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center in 2012 after coming out, earns a whopping 434,000 dollars a year at Seattle Reign.
2. Alex Morgan
Just above lies Alex Morgan. The forward, who has scored 107 goals in 169 caps for the USA, earns an annual salary of $439,000 at Orlando Pride.
1. Samantha Kerr
Samantha Kerr is by far the highest-paid soccer player in the world. The Australian leaped to Europe last year and has been playing for Chelsea since 2019. On the island, she collects a whopping 502,000 dollars a year.
