Fifpro survey: women's football booms but many players earn low wages

Centre · 2The players' union Fifpro published a 2026 global employment report, "Working Conditions in Women's Football", based on a survey of about 800 players worldwide, and it found a wide gap between the sport's commercial growth and conditions for most players. 1 2 Centre · 1Global revenue in the women's game is expected to rise from about $581m in 2024 to over $1bn in 2027, according to the report as relayed by the BBC. 2 Centre · 2Some 49% of players said they were considering leaving football earlier than planned. Of those, 59% cited their finances and 46% cited psychological stress, up from 13% in Fifpro's 2017 survey, according to the BBC. 1 2

Centre · 2Inflation-adjusted mean monthly club pay has tripled since 2017 to $2,601, but the median is $1,669. Average pay ranges from $6,450 in North America and $3,982 in central/Western Europe to $878 in Eastern Europe and $480 in Africa. 1 2 Centre · 2Average pay in 10 Eastern European countries is below the national minimum wage, and in Western Europe and Asia/Oceania it is not significantly higher than minimum wage levels. 1 2 Centre · 2Average contract length has risen from about a year in 2017 to 19 months, but only two-thirds of players are paid for all 12 months, according to Fifpro's Alex Culvin. Some players are on seven- or nine-month deals and must find other work. 2 1

Centre · 2On employment protections the two outlets report different figures. The BBC says 78% of players have a written contract, 82% are paid by their club, 24% had late payments in the past two seasons and 42% have no pension. CNA says only 56% have an employment contract and 13% receive a club pension. 2 1 Centre · 2Fifpro said 57% of respondents had struggled with their mental health and half of them received no support from their clubs. 2 1 Centre · 2Culvin, Fifpro's head of women's football, said improvement has been concentrated in the top 5% of players, while the other 95% face precarious conditions. She said commercial growth and player protection must "go hand in hand". She also said growing visibility, financial insecurity and inadequate support may contribute to the stress. The BBC adds that online abuse is a pressure. 2 1

Centre · 1Fifpro is calling for enforceable minimum standards on pay, facilities, staffing and healthcare in national employment agreements, and for mandatory psychological support. It noted that only eight of the 30 national leagues analysed have a collective agreement with players' unions, and pointed to the US National Women's Soccer League as a model for mental health provision. 1 Centre · 2Maternity protection is the one clear improvement. The share of players who say wanting a family could drive them out of football has fallen from nearly half (47%) in 2017 to 19%, which Fifpro attributes to the Fifa maternity rules introduced in 2021. 2 1 Centre · 2On self-description, 62% of players called themselves professional, 27% semi-professional and 12% amateur, though all played in their country's top tier. The share of players with agents rose from 14% to 41%. 2 1