Women’s football is projected to become a billion-dollar industry, but a new global survey by the players’ union Fifpro suggests many professional players are being left behind. More than 800 footballers were asked about their working conditions, and the findings point to low wages, insecure contracts and rising psychological stress.
The Fifpro report says global revenue in the women’s game is expected to rise from about $581m (£439m) in 2024 to more than $1bn (£756m) in 2027. Yet the survey found that although salaries, visibility and investment have increased significantly since 2017, much of the professional game still operates in precarious conditions.
Financial insecurity is a major reason players might leave the game early. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents cited financial reasons, while 46% identified psychological stress as a factor, up from 13% in Fifpro’s previous survey in 2017. In total, 57% of women who responded said they had struggled with their mental health, and half of those players said their clubs did not provide support.
Alex Culvin, Fifpro’s head of women’s football, said there was no single explanation for the rise in psychological stress. She pointed to growing public exposure, financial insecurity and inadequate support systems as possible contributing factors. “Players are now very visible,” Culvin said. “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.” She added that players reported higher psychological stress but did not feel they had the mental-health support they needed at club or international level.
The survey also challenges assumptions about what it means to be a professional. Under Fifa’s definition, a professional player has a written contract and is paid more than the expenses incurred by playing. In the survey, 62% of players described themselves as professional, 27% as semi-professional and 12% as amateur. All were playing for top-tier clubs, yet only 78% reported having a written contract and 82% said they were paid by their club. Just 57% said that payment was enough to cover the costs of playing football.
Culvin said players who are professional but do not see or feel themselves as professional are not receiving the full benefits of being an employee.
Salary growth remains limited in many parts of the game. Mean average monthly earnings have tripled since 2017 to $2,601 (£1,970), but the median salary is just $1,669 (£1,250). Average monthly pay ranges from $6,450 (£4,886) in North America and $3,982 (£3,016) in central and Western Europe to $878 (£664) in Eastern Europe and $480 (£363) in Africa. While salaries have risen sharply in leagues such as those in the USA and Mexico, average pay in 10 Eastern European countries remains below the national minimum wage. Even in regions such as Western Europe and Asia/Oceania, average pay is not significantly higher than national minimum wage levels. Fifpro said it could not provide average salaries per league because the report focused on regions rather than individual countries.
Contracts also remain short. Average contract lengths have increased from about one year in 2017 to 19 months, but many players still face periods without guaranteed income. “Only two-thirds of players are paid for the whole 12 months,” Culvin said. “There’s a lot of players who are on seven-month contracts, nine-month contracts, which means that they’ve got to work to make up the rest of the calendar year.” The report found that 24% of players had experienced late payments over the past two seasons, while 42% were not provided with a pension.
Culvin warned that the rapid commercial growth of women’s football could obscure these realities. Despite the growth of England’s Women’s Super League, Fifpro says conditions at the top of the game can mask the situation for many players elsewhere. “I think there’s a wake-up call needed for the ecosystem, that our players are suffering and that there is not the kind of wraparound support and accountability that’s needed for players,” she said.
Not all trends are negative. In 2017, nearly half of respondents said wanting a family could drive them out of football. That figure has now fallen to 19%, which Fifpro attributes in part to maternity regulations introduced by Fifa in 2021 and updated two years ago. Culvin said the conclusion was that “targeted regulatory intervention works”.
The report describes a widening divide. Elite clubs and players have benefited from investment and visibility, while much of the global workforce remains vulnerable. “You’ve got an industry that’s very focused on the top 5% of players,” Culvin said. “But then what you’ve got is the rest, which is 95% of the industry who are not paid on time, who have short contracts. They don’t get paid for 12 months – they are in incredibly vulnerable and precarious environments.” Fifpro insists the answer is not to slow growth but to ensure commercial success and player welfare develop together. Culvin said there should not be a choice between commercial growth and player protection, adding that the two need to go hand in hand and work in tandem. She added: “What we’re saying is enough is enough and the industry needs to react to the players’ needs and centralise the players’ voice, ensure that players have a seat at the table when decisions that affect them are being made about them.”