Women’s Football: Salary Disparities and Attendance Figures Highlight Development Needs
A recent FIFA report on the women’s game reveals significant disparities in player salaries and stadium attendance globally, underscoring areas needing improvement for the sport’s continued growth.
Global Salary Averages
The average annual salary for a female professional football player globally is $10,900 USD (£8,400 GBP, $17,000 AUD). However, this figure is heavily influenced by the earnings of players in top-tier clubs, as indicated in the report.
Income Breakdown by Tier:
- Tier 1: Comprising 41 clubs across 16 countries, the average salary is around $24,030. Sixteen of these clubs reported gross salaries exceeding $50,000.
- Highest Salary: Approximately $120,000.
- Tier 2: Average gross salary of $4,361.
- Tier 3: Average gross salary of $2,805.
The report emphasizes the need for players to earn a sufficient and reliable income solely through football, reducing reliance on secondary sources. This would allow them to dedicate the necessary time to play at a higher level.
Contract Length and Stability
Tier 1 clubs typically offer longer player contracts, commonly ranging from one to three years, with the highest salaries associated with two to three-year agreements. Conversely, Tier 3 teams are most likely to offer contracts lasting less than three months.
Longer contracts provide players with stability, enabling them to commit to a club and location, thereby bolstering their football careers, the report suggests.
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Attendance Concerns and Stadium Usage
Attendance figures also present a mixed picture. While some matches attract large crowds, such as the Women’s Super League record of 60,160 fans at the Emirates Stadium for a match between Arsenal and Manchester United, average attendances vary significantly across tiers.
Average Attendance:
- Tier 1: 1,713 fans.
- Tier 2: 480 fans.
- Tier 3: 380 fans.
Notably, 23% of clubs, including Arsenal, play some matches at alternative stadiums. For instance, Arsenal played some home league games at Emirates Stadium, and others at Meadow Park, which has a seating capacity of 1,700 and a total capacity of 4,500. The report notes that Tier 1 clubs often see double the attendance at larger stadiums, which reveals the sport’s capacity for drawing larger audiences.
Representation and Outlook
The report also addressed the under-representation of women in coaching roles, only 22% of head coaches across all tiers are female. However, there is greater gender equality among officials, with 42% of referees being female, varying from 57% in Tier 1 leagues to 25% in Tiers 2 and 3.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated the report helps stakeholders understand the success-driving factors. He highlighted the considerable progress in recent years but emphasized that more work remains to unlock women’s football’s full potential.
Methodology
The “Setting the Pace” report findings are based on surveys sent to 135 leagues and 1,518 clubs, with responses from 677 clubs in 90 leagues.
FIFA tiers were based on factors such as the existence of a club licensing system, the number of league players in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and the total budget for women’s football of a member association.