Chelsea’s Sam Kerr is now the highest paid player after Carli Lloyd’s retirement – here is a look at the highest-paid women’s footballers England’s Women’s Euro 2022 squad have inspired the next generations of footballers with their exploits in the tournament on home soil.
UEFA have confirmed that a record breaking 487,683 people have already attended matches across the UK in the Women’s Euro 2022 ahead of tonight’s final against Germany which will have sell-out crowd of 90,000. Millions watched on Tuesday night as England beat Sweden 4-0 with Alessia Russo’s back-heeled goal going viral on social media.
With increased television coverage the women’s game has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, with huge viewing figures at the World Cup, and now the Euros. The increase in popularity is across Europe as El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona set a capacity record of 90,000 at the Camp Nou earlier this year, which is set to be matched at Wembley tonight. So how much are the players paid?
Despite the increase in popularity and media attention, women footballers are still paid considerably less than their male counterparts, and a lot of this is down to the money generated through big tournaments and matches. The women’s game is going from strength to strength, but they are still a long way behind in terms of what they earn.
The Women’s Super League (WSL) was established in 2010 and is the highest league of women’s football in England. It is one of the most competitive and professional in world football, and features an abundance of talent across 12 teams, from Chelsea’s Sam Kerr to Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema.
Tottenham and West Hall also have sides in the women’s top flight along with Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City. However, the salary in the WSL can be as low as £20,000 per year in some cases, reports The Telegraph.
The Lionesses become the history makers!
Make sure you get a copy of our 48 page special celebrating England’s fantastic victory over Germany in the final of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 featuring all the final action, celebration pictures, the road to Wembley glory, tournament wallchart, stats and facts and a fantastic centre spread souvenir poster
The domestic game still has a long way to go and some players are even being reportedly ‘priced out’ of playing professional football, due to the low starting wage and lack of opportunities. While some players are struggling to make ends meet others are offered in excess of £300,000 per year, so there are drastic differences in wages. The average yearly salary in the WSL is said to be £30,000.
It has been reported by SportBible that the highest paid female footballer was the USA’s Carli Lloyd, who earned over £432,000 per year before her retirement in August 2021. Chelsea’s Sam Kerr is now said to be the top earner in the women’s game, earning over £400,000 a year. In comparison the highest paid male footballer according to Forbes, is Lionel Messi, who earns £62 million per year before endorsements.
With regard to national team salaries, times are changing and numerous national sides pay their men’s and women’s teams equally. These sides include England, Brazil, Australia and Norway. England women earn roughly £2,000 per match, according to National World.
