FEATURE: THE GENDER PAY GAP: DISPARITIES BETWEEN MEN'S AND WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Updated: May 2, 2025
Football has become a haven for the mega-rich, on and off the pitch, with the Premier League standing out as the wealthiest competition.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland reportedly earns up to £525,000 per week, followed by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.
In the Women’s Super League, Chelsea's Sam Kerr is the highest-paid player, earning £417,000.
The wage for female footballers in professional leagues ranges between £20,000 and £30,000, with the WSL averaging £47,000 annually.
These modest figures evidently pale in comparison to their male counterparts.
For instance, Reece James, brother of Lioness Lauren James, earns £250,000 per week, which amounts to what she makes in a year.
In non-playing roles, England managers Sarina Wiegman earns around £400,000 annually, while Thomas Tuchel makes £6 million.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN'S AND WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Progress has been made in pay, although equality remains a significant challenge.
For the first time, players at the 2023 World Cup were guaranteed prize money based on team performance, ranging from £23,476 to £211,286 depending on how far they advanced.
The United Nations urged FIFA to equalise prize money by the next World Cup, aiming to close the gap.
President Gianni Infantino stated that it is FIFA's "ambition" to guarantee pay parity by 2027.
A Lack of Pay and Medical Conditions?
A report by FIFAPro found female footballers faced significant risks due to low pay, lack of medical care, and poor training facilities.
The report revealed that many players were not compensated for national team matches.
Almost a third had to take unpaid leave to play in qualifiers, with some forced to choose between representing their country and keeping their day jobs.
A Representative Society?
In 2023, a Jamaican player revealed to the BBC that their team had to crowdfund to compete in the World Cup.
This wasn’t the first protest regarding women's team treatment.
In 2016, the Nigerian team staged a sit-in over unpaid allowances, and in 2017, Ada Hegerberg boycotted the World Cup, citing disrespect for female players.
In 2019, the US Women’s team sued US Soccer for unequal pay, securing a $24 million settlement.
The England women's team is currently negotiating tournament pay and bonuses, with UEFA doubling the prize money to £34 million for the next Euros.
Expecting women to inspire, fight for rights, excel on the pitch, and juggle other jobs due to low pay is a huge burden, but if they don’t, who will?
A Step for Change?
The FA's latest gender pay gap report revealed a higher percentage of women (33.4%) received bonuses compared to men (26.6%).
It also addressed the ethnicity pay gap in favour of staff from ethnic backgrounds, though this year’s data was incomplete due to system upgrades.
The organisation continues to promote inclusivity through its "A Game for All" strategy, which supports equality, diversity, and progress in football.
Nerea Fernandes
Writer
Her Football Sphere
April 2025
Word count: 485
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