FIFPRO survey: 49% of women footballers weigh leaving early, median pay is $1,669 a month

Women's football revenue is forecast to climb from about $581m in 2024 to more than $1bn in 2027. The players' union FIFPRO says most of the people producing that revenue are not seeing it.

The union released its 2026 Global Employment Report, titled "Working Conditions in Women's Football," today, Oct. 12. FIFPRO calls it the most extensive review of conditions in the women's game in a decade. It surveyed more than 800 players worldwide.

Half the players are eyeing the exit

Some 49% of respondents said they are considering leaving football earlier than planned. Of those, 59% cited their financial situation. Another 46% cited psychological stress.

That stress figure was 13% in FIFPRO's previous survey in 2017.

Overall, 57% of respondents said they struggled with their mental health. Half of those players said their clubs gave them no support.

Alex Culvin, FIFPRO's head of women's football, said no single factor explains the jump. She pointed to greater public exposure, financial insecurity and weak support systems. She also tied visibility to pay. "Players are not only expected to be visible, but are obligated to be visible because of the low income to subsidise the lack of solid income they receive," she said.

Average pay tripled, but the median tells the real picture

Inflation-adjusted average monthly club wages have tripled since 2017, to $2,601. The median is $1,669. FIFPRO describes the growth as "uneven and fragmented."

Where a player works matters enormously. The survey put average monthly earnings at:

• North America: $6,450
• Central and western Europe: $3,982
• Eastern Europe: $878
• Africa: $480

In 10 eastern European countries analysed, average pay is below the national minimum wage. FIFPRO says even in western Europe and Asia/Oceania, home to some of the sport's bigger markets, average pay is not significantly higher than minimum wages.

Every respondent played in her country's top division. These are not lower-league or amateur-club numbers.

Contracts, pensions and staff

Only 56% of players have an employment contract, the report found. Just 13% receive a club pension, and 47% said their clubs do not have enough staff.

On self-description, 62% called themselves professional, 27% semi-professional and 12% amateur. FIFA's definition of a professional is a written contract and pay above expenses incurred playing.

The report said whether a player has a written contract, a pension, medical cover or parental leave "often depends less on her ability" than on the country she lives in and the club she plays for.

Some numbers moved the right way. Average contract length rose from 12 months in 2017 to 19 months. The share of players with agents jumped from 14% to 41%.

The 5% and the 95%

Culvin put the split in blunt terms. "You've got an industry that's very focused on the top 5% of players," she said. The other 95%, she said, are "not paid on time, who have short contracts." Some, she said, go unpaid for months of the year.

"The women's football industry has come a long way," Culvin said. "For 95% (of players), the rest of the industry, there is a hell of a long way to go."

FIFPRO is a players' union, and the survey is its own work. The union has an obvious interest in pushing for stronger protections. The numbers are self-reported by players, and the sample is just over 800 players in a global game.

One fix that worked

The report did find a clear improvement. In 2017, nearly half of respondents considering an early exit said wanting a family could push them out. That figure is now 19%.

FIFPRO credits that in part to FIFA's maternity regulations, introduced in 2021 and updated two years ago. "Targeted regulatory intervention works," Culvin said.

What FIFPRO wants

The union is not asking the industry to slow down. "There doesn't need to be a choice for those between commercial growth and player protection," Culvin said. "Those two things need to go hand in hand."

She said the commercial argument for the women's game is settled. "I think the institutional, regulatory and policy case needs to catch up quickly," she said.

FIFPRO is demanding that players get "a seat at the table" when decisions affecting them are made. It also wants more mental health support at club and international level.

No club, league or federation response to the survey appears in the report's release. It remains unclear whether the sport's governing bodies will extend a rule-based fix like the maternity regulations to pay, contracts and mental health support before revenue crosses the $1bn mark in 2027.