Low financing and psychological pressure in women’s football: Is this part of the job?

Women’s football has risen dramatically in popularity in the past few years. In 2023, a new record of 46.7 million viewers highlighted the rise in support for women’s football. Despite this, the players are earning an “insufficient income”, according to FIFPRO’s Director of Women’s Football, Dr Alex Culvin.

A recent survey from FIFPRO found that out of 407 national team players, 66% of those earned less than £15,000. Furthermore, 25% of these players had another job aside from football.

59% of players said they would consider leaving football due to financial reasons and 46% said they would leave for stress-related reasons

Considering these figures, it is no surprise that the players are suffering from financial and psychological distress. Whilst the growth of professional women’s football is undeniable, there is also an evident decline in players’ mental health. The British Journal of Sports Medicine found that out of 290 players, 16.6% showed symptoms of mild depression and 14.1% showed symptoms of severe depression. 8.3% of players showed symptoms of at least moderate anxiety.

In addition to an insufficient income, the welfare of many female footballers is declining, thus, posing the question of whether the two are linked or not. The FIFPRO survey reported that 59% of players said they would consider leaving football due to financial reasons and 46% said they would leave for stress-related reasons.

Players’ insufficient incomes are problematic for a myriad of reasons. Insecure contracts, low wages, and a lack of financing could lead to decline in athletic performance and wellbeing. Female footballers have to face the added burden of financial insecurity, taking their attention away from football. The above statistics demonstrate how external worries might motivate players to stop playing football entirely. What the statistics cannot represent is the emotional turmoil involved when financial pressures are constantly present.

The future of women’s football is brimming with potential, and it is important to continue supporting it

In comparison, male football players, who earn an average wage of £60,000 – £67,000 in the Premier League, face less of a financial burden. Since women were banned from playing football in 1921 by the FA and were not permitted to play football again until 1971, the women’s football industry is not as well developed as the men’s. In 2009, the FA introduced central contracts, allowing for women to establish a career playing football. The history of women’s football means women have been limited in the growth of their professional careers, especially as there was not a professional female football league in England until 2018.

Whilst the popularity of the game grows, the industry has a lot of catching up to do until female football players are given the same opportunities as male football players. This would include making fixed contracts more common, especially in the lower tier leagues, so players do not have to find other income to support themselves, better funding so that facilities and research can be streamlined to female players, and a continuation of support from fans.

Despite the need for improvements, women’s football is rapidly increasing in its popularity and has the potential to become a well-developed industry. The future of women’s football is brimming with potential, and it is important to continue supporting it as it provides great role models for the next generation of female players.