Men's footballers earn huge salaries… but who is the best-paid women's footballer?
Who is the best-paid women's footballer?(Image credit: Getty Images)
Who is the best-paid women's footballer in the world right now, then? The salaries within women's football may dwarf those of men's football, but there are still some players within the game making a significant amount of money.
The USA’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has long had some of the most lucrative contracts in global women's football and England’s Women’s Super League (WSL) has recently caught up.
Carli Lloyd was previously the best-paid women's footballer in the world with a reported annual salary of £377,000 at NY/NJ Gotham FC before her retirement in 2021.
So, who is now the best paid women’s footballer?
Carli Lloyd used to hold the record being the world's best-paid women's player (Image credit: PA)
That distinction belongs to Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, who earns a reported £417,000 at Stamford Bridge, although the Australian is expected to miss the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury she suffered during a warm weather training camp in Morocco.
The 30-year-old joined the Blues for the second half of the 2019/20 season and has been part of four successive WSL title wins under Emma Hayes, who is departing in the summer to take over as the US Women’s head coach.
Behind Kerr is San Diego Wave’s Alex Morgan, who is compensated for her efforts to the tune of £375,000 a year. The two-time Women’s World Cup winner has twice been names one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People and also lifted the Champions League with Lyon in 2017.
Plenty of US stars earn a lot of money (Image credit: Getty Images)
Rounding out the podium is Morgan’s fellow American Megan Rapinoe. One of the most influential figures in the history of the women’s game, Rapinoe earned a salary of £373,000 before hanging her boots up in September of last year as the US beat South Africa 2-0 in a friendly.
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Another recent American retiree is next on the list. Julie Ertz walked away from the sport in August of last year and was paid a reported £359,000, placing her just ahead of Norway and Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg on £355,000. In sixth, Brazil and Orlando Pride’s Marta earns £344,000, ahead of Amandine Henry, who is currently on loan at Lille and makes £320,540 per year.
France’s Wendie Renard (£318,510), who also plays for Lyon is eighth on the list, with Canada’s Christine Sinclair (£308,760) ninth, and 21-year-old US star Trinity Rodman (£228,320) rounding out the top 10.
Here’s the full list below:
Sam Kerr (Australia and Chelsea) - £417,000
Alex Morgan (USA and San Diego Wave) - £375,000
Megan Rapinoe* (USA and Seattle Reign) - £373,000
Julie Ertz* (USA and Angel City) - £359,000
Ada Hegerberg (Norway and Lyon) - £355,000
Marta (Brazil and Orlando Pride) - £344,000
Amandine Henry (France and Lille) - £320.540
Wendie Renard (France and Lyon) - £318,510
Christine Sinclair (Canada and Portland Thorns) - £308,760
Trinity Rodman (USA and Washington Spirit) - £228,320
*denotes recently retired player
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Andy is a freelance sports journalist whose work has appeared across a number of print and online titles, including Golf Monthly, Eurosport and TNT Sports. He graduated in 2019 and began his career working in golf before joining Future in February 2021 as a staff writer for Golf Monthly. Andy has since decided to branch out into other sports and now covers football, rugby, snooker, UFC, Formula 1, boxing, and others. He is a Manchester United fan and joins the FourFourTwo team at an interesting time for his club and the game as a whole.
