Less than $20,000 a year: The grim reality for female footballers around the world

Only 16 clubs in seven countries pay their players more than US $ 50,000 ($ 78,000) per year, according to a new report by the FIFA World Soccer Governing Body.

The average salary for the soccer player worldwide is around US $ 10,900 ($ 17,091).

When limited to the top -level leagues, the average salary doubles more than US $ 24,030 ($ 37,682).

These data come from the recently launched 2024 edition of the FIFA Women’s Soccer Benchmarking report, which collects data on the experiences of 86 leagues players and 669 clubs around the world.

A graph that shows the amounts obtained by the players at level 1, 2 and 3 leagues.

In Australia, the minimum wage in the A-League Women competition is $ 25,750 for senior and $ 12,800 players for scholarships.

“The FIFA report does some things well, such as the crucial benefits for players and leagues to make full -time professional players who can maximize their potential,” said Beau Busch, executive director of trade union players, professional players of Australia (PFA).

“The detail that loses for the women of the A-League is that our group of talents is being drained by the leagues that have run ahead, including the WSL (England Super League) and NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League in the United States) but also the second level of the US. And the new Canadian professional league.”

The PFA has been asking for improvements from the A-League women’s competition, including professionalism and full-time improvements so that they coincide with the presentation and club environments.

Two soccer players in green kits run between two players in yellow and blue kits.

Matildas star Michelle Heyman in Action for Canberra United. Fountain: AAPA / Lukas Coch

The FIFA report, published on Monday, classifies the leagues into three levels, ranging from level 1 for the leagues to the highest level of professionalization to level 3 for the leagues in the previous stages of the process.

The Australian professional leagues, which govern the competitions of the A-League, says that the women of the A-League would be classified as a Level 1 league under the framework of FIFA.

Almost three quarters of the players in Level 1 leagues reported that football was their main source of income.

The proportion was lower at the other levels, with 1 out of every 2 players in the Level 2 and 1 leagues in 5 players in the Level 3 leagues winning their main source of football income.

Most players in the A-League women’s competition play in contracts of a season that last 35 weeks.

In world level leagues, less than a third of the contracts were less than a year on average.

The A-League competition was mentioned in the FIFA report as an example of strategic expansion, with the number of equipment and games played on the rise of past seasons.

FIFA also highlighted the increase in the record of the output transfer rates for the A-League players.

A footballer with a blue kit grabs the shirt of another footballer who wears a cream and a garnet shirt that is trying to kick the ball.

The unleashed transfer rate for the Movement of Sharn Freier (right) by Brisbane Roar to VFL Wolfsburg in Germany broke the club’s record. Fountain: AAPA / Beautiful Rob

“The women of the A-League have made great progress, but it can be much larger if we now act to professionalize the players, take advantage of the Asian Cup of women in their homeland (in 2026) and repatriate the golden generation of Matildas before finishing their careers,” Busch said.

“Australian football could not capitalize on the Women’s World Cup to build a lasting legacy for the professional game; we cannot afford to make the same mistake again.”

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