The Top 10 Female Footballers by Salary and the Reasons They Are Not Compensated Equally with Males

Even though women’s football has grown significantly over the past ten years, its financial standing still pales in contrast to that of men’s football. Men’s football, of course, draws much larger sums due to TV rights deals, and the number of fans attending games and purchasing products, but women’s football is steadily gaining popularity and funding.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-paid professional football player in the globe in 2023, earning an absurd yearly salary of €136 million at Saudi’s Al-Nassr. Some of the biggest names in European football apart from Ronaldo (Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Jota, Karim Benzema…) have relocated to Saudi Arabia this summer as a result of the Saudi Pro League’s massive financial investment in the sport.

Although the women’s game pales in comparison, the top athletes in the sport still make a sizable amount more than the typical worker. The highest-paid female player is Chelsea’s Samantha Kerr, who reportedly makes €480,000 a year, while Ronaldo, as we said, makes in excess of €130 million annually.

Despite the fact that Kerr has yet to take home the Ballon d’Or, she has long been regarded as one of the game’s top players. Alexia Putellas of Barcelona won each of 2021 and 2022, with the Australian international placing third in both years. Maybe Kerr will get luckier on October 30, when this year’s ceremony for recognizing the best female footballer in the world.

Even though they are nearing the end of their playing days for the US national team, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe are ranked in second and third place on the list of the most paid female footballers. Morgan makes €432,000 a year with the San Diego Wave, while Rapinoe reportedly makes €430,000 a year with the OL Reign.

Julie Ertz, another American, is ranked fourth on the list because of her reportedly €414,000 annual salary at Angel City FC. Ada Hegerberg is the fifth most-paid female footballer in the world and the inaugural laureate of the Ballon d’Or Féminin in 2018. The Norwegian is employed by Lyon on an apparent €409,000 annual salary.

With 17 goals, Brazilian icon Marta owns the record for both the men’s and women’s World Cups. Despite nearing the end of her playing days, Marta is still said to be the high-ranked earner in women’s football. She is sixth on the list, reportedly making €396,000 annually from Orlando Pride.

Amandine Henry, a midfielder for France, earns €369,000 a year with Angel City FC, just €2,000 more than her international teammate Wendie Renard, who plays for Lyon. Henry is the seventh highest-paid female football player, while Renard is eighth.

The final two players in the top 10 are Canadian Christine Sinclair (€355,000 at Portland Thorns FC) and American Trinity Rodman (€262,000 at Washington Spirit).

The top 10 best-paid women’s football players:

• Sam Kerr, AUS (Chelsea, ENG) €480k
• Alex Morgan, USA (San Diego Wave, USA) €432k
• Megan Rapinoe, USA (OL Reign, USA) €430k
• Julie Ertz (Angel City, USA) €414k
• Ada Hegerberg, NOR (Lyon, FRA) €409k
• Marta, BRA (Orlando Pride, USA) €396k
• Amandine Henry, FRA (Angel City, USA) €369k
• Wendie Renard, FRA (Lyon, FRA) €367k
• Christine Sinclair, CAN (Portland Thorns, USA) €355k
• Trinity Rodman, USA (Washington Spirit, USA) €262k

The Disparity in Paying Men’s and Women’s Footballers

Similar to the men’s game, women’s football players receive wildly varying salaries based on their caliber, age, marketability, and a variety of other criteria.

It is true that Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, who earns close to €500k annually, is the highest-paid female football player with a salary that is very respectable even for men’s pro football standards.

However, the majority of third-tier teams and even several second-tier teams in women's football in England are not technically professional, forcing players to alternate pursuing football with full-time employment. While some football players are compensated for their travel fees, many are not.

Why Are Female Football Players Paid Less Than Male Players?

The financial aspects of men’s football are currently miles apart from those of women's football. That is mostly a result of the discrepancy in popularity, which also accounts for the discrepancy in TV rights agreements and retail sales.

While practically half of the world’s population watched the whole 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup, only 764 million people watched the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which is five times fewer viewers than the men’s competition. Men’s last WC ended last December, but the women’s that follows is still going on, so we are unable to compare the viewership just yet.

TV networks pay greater for the broadcast right for games when there are more viewers, and that extra money is split between the teams and the players, who are then paid more. Furthermore, 61 years after the debut of the Men’s World Cup, the first Women’s World Cup was staged; in other words, it has not staged until 1991. Since then, the women’s game has been running catch-up in terms of bringing in fans and raising the level of competition.

What about betting on women’s football in comparison with men’s? Football betting is one of the most popular sports betting options. Men’s football is the main emphasis of football betting, which is obvious given all the information we provided. But there are also fantastic gambling opportunities in women’s football. The industry has made significant progress. It is anticipated that when the game becomes more recognized, it will become a standard offering on sports betting websites.

There are not many differences between betting on men's and women's football games. The two games, however, are not precisely the same, so bettors ought to be aware of this. The top 10 bookmakers online in 2023 do not have a great deal of data to work with because the women’s rendition of the game is still relatively new. Because of this, gamblers have little data to compare odds with.

Women’s football must invest significantly more in player support in order to protect both the players and the sport if it is to fully accept wagering. Any gambling-related income must also include a sizable percentage that goes back to the players.

What Is the Solution for Women’s Players to Earn More?

Women’s football definitely makes less money than men’s football, but what is the major factor in why their salaries are so much lower? Sporting Intelligence conducted a study in 2017 that clarified the differences. The combined club salaries of the players in the top seven women’s leagues, which included 81 teams and 1,693 players, were £32.8 million ($43.6 million or €38.4 million). Neymar, a forward for Paris Saint-Germain, made €36.8 million in 2017–18 alone, to put that into perspective.

Improving working conditions for female footballers locally and internationally, which is a team effort, will help women’s players earn more money. FIFA, football federations, and clubs must have the motivation to support women’s football and to give female players the fundamental working conditions they need. They should also incorporate young ladies into their football programs and aid them in the early development of their skills. It is crucial that media organizations contribute to the increased dissemination of news and stories about women’s football. More broadcasts of the games will aid in luring sponsors, which will have an impact on football players’ wages.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)