Women's Football Faces Challenges in Pay, Coaching, and Attendance, FIFA Report Finds

FIFA's latest report on women's football reveals significant disparities in pay, attendance, and coaching, with the average annual salary for female players standing at $10,900 and attendance figures varying widely across tiers.

FIFA's annual report on the women's game has revealed significant disparities in pay, contracts, and attendance. According to the report, the average annual salary for a female professional soccer player globally is $10,900. However, this figure is skewed by a small number of top clubs.

The report, titled “Setting the Pace, FIFA Benchmarking Report on Women's Football,” found that among Tier 1 clubs, which include 41 teams from 16 countries, the average salary was around $24,030. Notably, 16 of these top clubs paid an average gross salary of over $50,000, with the highest salary being approximately $120,000. In contrast, the average gross salary at Tier 2 and 3 clubs was significantly lower, at $4,361 and $2,805, respectively.

The report emphasized the need for players to earn a reliable and sufficient income solely from playing. “There is a need for players of a certain standard to earn a reliable and sufficient income solely from playing, reducing their dependence on secondary sources of income and allowing them to dedicate the time required to play at a higher level,” the report stated.

The report also highlighted the importance of contract length in providing stability for players. Tier 1 clubs typically offered the longest player contracts, most commonly between one and three years, with salaries highest for contracts of two to three years. In contrast, Tier 3 teams were more likely to offer contracts under three months. As the report noted, “A longer contract enables players to commit to a club and a location, giving them more stability so they can focus on their footballing careers.”

Furthermore, the report identified attendances as an area of concern. It emphasized the need for increased support and attention for women's football to drive growth and development in the sport.

A record-breaking attendance was set in the Women's Super League last year when Arsenal hosted Manchester United in front of 60,160 fans at Emirates Stadium. However, the average attendance for Tier 1 teams was significantly lower, at 1,713 fans, while Tiers 2 and 3 averaged 480 and 380 fans, respectively.

Arsenal was one of the 23% of clubs that played some matches at a stadium other than their regular ground. The team played five home league games at The Emirates and the rest at Meadow Park, which has a seating capacity of 1,700 and total capacity of 4,500. The report noted that for Tier 1 clubs, the average attendance at the alternative stadium was typically double that at the regular stadium, indicating the sport's potential to attract larger audiences. As the report stated, “For clubs in Tier 1, the average attendance at the other stadium was typically double that at the regular stadium, indicating that the sport has the ability to attract larger audiences on occasion.”

The report also highlighted the underrepresentation of women in coaching roles, with only 22% of head coaches across all tiers being female. However, there is more gender equity among officials, with 42% of referees being female, ranging from 57% in Tier 1 leagues to 25% in Tiers 2 and 3.

Putting the women's game in focus 🔎

The FIFA Women's Football Benchmarking Report provides cutting-edge analysis of the state of play at 669 clubs across 86 leagues around the world.

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) March 17, 2025

FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized the importance of the report in helping clubs, leagues, and stakeholders gain a better understanding of the factors that drive success in women's football. “The strides made in recent years have been remarkable, but there is still more work to be done to unlock its full potential,” he said.

The report, “Setting the Pace,” was compiled from surveys sent to 135 leagues and 1,518 clubs, with a total of 677 clubs in 90 leagues responding. FIFA determined the tiers based on factors such as whether the league had a club licensing system, the number of a league's players who featured in the 2023 Women's World Cup, and a member association's total budget for women's football, among others.