Swiss women's football star Alisha Lehmann has reignited the debate over the significant pay gap between male and female football players.
Lehmann highlighted the fact that female players do not earn amounts close to those received by the biggest stars in men's football, including Lionel Messi.
The issue extends beyond the salaries of global superstars. It also involves average player income, contract values, investment, broadcasting rights, sponsorship, and matchday revenue.
How Much Do Female Footballers Earn Worldwide?
Women's football continues to experience major differences in salaries depending on the country, club, and level of competition.
The average annual salary for a professional female footballer worldwide is around $10,900.
The average rises to approximately $24,030 per year at first-tier clubs, while players at second-tier clubs earn an average of around $4,361, and those at third-tier clubs receive approximately $2,805 annually.
These figures show that the pay gap exists not only between men's and women's football but also within the women's game itself.
Some Top-Level Players Earn More Than $50,000
A number of players at first-tier clubs earn more than $50,000 per year, while some of the highest salaries reach approximately $120,000 annually.
Although these figures are significantly higher than the global average for female players, they remain far below the salaries earned by the biggest stars in men's football.
The figures also highlight the substantial differences between players within the women's game, depending on their clubs and professional level.
66% of National-Team Players Earn Less Than $20,000
The financial situation becomes clearer when examining national-team players.
Recent data covering more than 400 players from 41 countries found that 66% of national-team players earn less than $20,000 per year from football.
A significant proportion earn less than $5,000 annually, forcing some players to work other jobs or rely on additional sources of income.
The same data indicates that 22% of the players surveyed do not have club contracts, while 33% have contracts lasting one year or less.
These figures underline the financial and professional instability that remains a major issue in women's football.
The English Leagues Highlight the Gap
The difference is particularly visible in England.
The average Premier League player's salary exceeds £3 million per year, while the average salary for a player in the Women's Super League is around £47,000, according to figures published in 2025.
This means the average Premier League salary is more than 60 times higher than the average salary in the women's top division.
The difference is not limited to wages. Men's football also generates substantially larger revenues through broadcasting, sponsorship, advertising, ticket sales, and investment.
What About Women's Football Salaries in Egypt?
Egypt currently lacks a comprehensive publicly available official database showing the average salaries of all players in the women's Premier League.
This makes a precise comparison between men's and women's average salaries difficult.
However, individual contracts provide some indication of the financial gap.
Previous reports indicated that Rodina Abdel Rasoul, an Al Ahly women's player, earned around 5,000 Egyptian pounds per month before recommendations were made to revise her contract.
By comparison, published salary data for the Egyptian men's league places the average annual salary at around €117,992.
Several leading players at Al Ahly and Pyramids reportedly earn more than €1 million per season, while Moroccan star Achraf Bencharki has been listed with an annual salary of around €1.365 million.
These figures must be viewed in the context of differences between individual contracts and available datasets, but they nevertheless illustrate the scale of the gap between the men's and women's football markets in Egypt.
Al Ahly Contribute to the Growth of Women's Football in Egypt
Despite the financial gap, women's football in Egypt has experienced significant development in recent years.
The entry of major clubs has increased competition and investment in the women's game.
Al Ahly provided a major boost after establishing its women's team and winning the 2025 Egyptian Women's Cup after defeating Wadi Degla.
The transfer market has also developed, with several players moving for increasingly significant fees. One example was Habiba Essam, known as Bebo, who moved from Wadi Degla to Al Ahly in a deal reportedly worth more than one million Egyptian pounds, with additional performance-related clauses.
Is the Pay Gap About Gender or Market Size?
Alisha Lehmann's comments raise a broader question about why the pay gap exists.
Female players and their representatives continue to call for improved salaries, stronger contracts, greater investment, and increased financial equality.
At the same time, the men's and women's games operate within very different commercial markets, particularly in terms of broadcasting rights, sponsorship, advertising, attendance, and investment.
Men's football generates enormous revenues that allow clubs to allocate much larger budgets to player salaries, while women's football is still developing its commercial and fan base in many countries.
The Future of Women's Football Salaries
Women's football is continuing to grow globally, with rising audiences, investment, sponsorship, and competition.
As the commercial market expands, players have greater opportunities to secure stronger contracts and improved salaries.
However, reaching salary levels comparable with men's football would require continued investment, larger revenues, stronger fan engagement, and further professional development.
Current figures show that the gap remains substantial, but the continued growth of women's football could lead to a more stable and financially sustainable market in the years ahead.
What is the average salary of a female footballer worldwide?
The global average annual salary for a professional female footballer is around $10,900, although it varies significantly by club and country.
How much do players at top-level women's clubs earn?
The average at first-tier clubs is around $24,030 per year, while some salaries exceed $50,000 and can reach approximately $120,000.
How many national-team players earn less than $20,000?
The available data indicates that 66% of the national-team players surveyed earn less than $20,000 annually from football.
Is there an official average salary for women's football in Egypt?
There is currently no comprehensive publicly available official database covering the average salaries of all women's Premier League players in Egypt.
Why is there such a large salary gap between men's and women's football?
The difference is influenced by broadcasting, sponsorship, attendance, investment, commercial revenues, and the overall size of the men's and women's football markets.
