Exactly how much the Lionesses are paid in comparison to men’s football wages

The Lionesses made England proud in the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday. Despite being beaten by Spain 1-0, they went further than any England women’s team had gone before, broke TV audience records, broke ticket sale records, and inspired girls across the country to play.

But, despite the Lionesses’ skill and history making legacy, there’s still gender pay disparity between the men’s and women’s game – both at international tournaments and on home turf. So, in case you’re curious, here’s how much the Lionesses are paid in comparison to men’s football wages:

Wait, so how much were the Lionesses paid for the Women’s World Cup?

The Lionesses have been in a dispute with the Football Association about World Cup bonuses for a long time. Before this year’s tournament, Fifa finally offered each Lioness £10,000 to get their families to Australia to support them (the same as the men) and guaranteed each player would earn £24,000, even if they got knocked out in the group stages. This rose to £47,000 for a place in the last 16, £70,000 for the last eight and £128,000 for a place in the semi-finals, while the winners take home £213,000.

But teams who qualified for the men’s World Cup in 2022 were given £1.2million just for taking part. Meanwhile the prize pool currently stands at £345million for men and £86million for women— a £259million difference.

“Last year we presented the FA with concerns relating to our bonus and commercial structures,” England captain Millie Bright said in a statement ahead of the Women’s World Cup tournament. “The hope was that discussions would lead to a solution before the commencement of the World Cup. We are disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved.”

How much are the Lionesses paid to compete in the Women’s Super League?

When we start to look at the Lionesses domestic salaries in the Women’s Super League, their pay isn’t even in the same ball park at the England men’s players. In the Women’s Super League, footballers have an average salary of £25,000 to £27,000 per year, with bottom earnings standing at less than £20,000.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reported in 2019 that the average Premier League player’s pay was around £61,000 per week– or more than £3million per year, with FA boss Mark Bullingham claiming this year pay parity was more of a “long term goal” for the leagues. Great!

Related articles recommended by this author:

• Boujee holidays and TikTok fame: Inside Lioness Mary Earps’ life off the pitch 

• Mayfair nights out and glam holidays: Inside Lioness Alessia Russo’s life off the pitch 

• Bucket hats and Ibiza sessions: Inside Ella Toone’s wild life off the pitch 

Featured image credit via James Gourley/Shutterstock