Low wages and stress - almost half of female footballers consider retiring early 

Many of 800 players interviewed cite financial and mental stress

 

Almost half of female footballers are considering leaving the sport because of financial concerns or psychological stress, and 57% have struggled with their mental health, according to a Fifpro report highlighting the working conditions for players worldwide.

About 800 players were surveyed by the global players’ union for the report, which also found that average club wages have tripled in the women’s game since 2017 but raised concerns about the gulf in pay and the support provided to players. Fifpro said “average pay is not significantly higher than national minimum wage levels” in many regions.

The report, entitled “Working ⁠Conditions in Women’s Football”, heard that 49% of players were considering leaving football earlier than planned. Of ⁠those more than half cited financial reasons and 46% pointed to psychological stress as the reason.

Only 56% of players surveyed had an individual employment contract, and only 13% receive a club pension. The average contract length has risen from 12 months in 2017 to 19 months, but financial uncertainty remains for players. 

The average monthly wage of those surveyed – nearly half of whom play for their countries, and over half of whom have a university degree – was $2,601 (£1,966), but that is inflated by a small proportion of much higher earners. The median monthly salary was only $1,669 (£1,261). Only 76% of players said they were always paid fully and on time and 5% had experienced delays of more than three months to be paid.

“Away from the best-resourced clubs, there is a recurring theme of precarity and fragile conditions,” Fifpro’s director of women’s football, Alex Culvin, said. “The women’s football industry has come a long way, [but] for the rest of the industry, there is a hell of a long way to ⁠go.

“The professionalisation of women’s football is accelerating in some parts of the world and, as our report highlights, revenues are increasing, however, the progress and benefits are not evenly distributed among players across the world.

“The expectations that are put on these players, professional expectations that don’t operate in professional circumstances because the conditions that are provided to them are suboptimal.”

The survey found only two-thirds of professional players are actually paid for 12 months of the year, while psychological stress has become the second main driver behind players considering leaving the game – 46 per cent in 2026 compared to 13 per cent the last time the report was compiled in 2017.

The players were asked whether their club employed enough staff to fulfil players’ needs, and 47% said no.

The former England and Chelsea defender Millie Bright, who when she ended her highly-decorated career in April said, “I’ve given all I can”, told Fifpro’s media channels that creating an environment where players can ask for help with their mental health without judgment was essential.

“You’re a little bit embarrassed to say that you’re struggling a little bit, so you just hide it and just keep playing,” she said. “A big thing for me in mental health is the environment and the culture. To have a positive impact, it needs consistency and daily behaviours.”

Domestic leagues are called on to operate licensing systems to make adequate player protections a condition of clubs wishing to compete.

Culvin added: “The attention needs to turn to how do we ensure that a rising tide lifts all boats?

“How do we ensure that when England win the Euros or the USA win the Olympics, that that translates, and are redistribution mechanisms in place that ensure that all players have a safety net?

“If you go home and you can’t nourish yourself properly because you can’t put food on the table, you’re expected to work a second job, you’re not being paid on time, you can see the cumulative effect the industry has on players, and yet the players are expected to be grateful for just being a professional footballer because 10 years ago it wasn’t possible.

“What we’re saying is, enough’s enough. The industry needs to react to the players’ needs, centralise the players’ voice, and ensure that players have a seat at the table when decisions that affect them are being made about them.”

Guardian and PA