A new benchmarking report from FIFA showed that, while investment continues to increase in women’s soccer, there remain vast global discrepancies in revenue and access to resources.
The report, which was released on Friday, analyzed 86 leagues representing 669 clubs. They participated in self-reporting surveys, providing statistics and standards ranging from average salaries to league revenue and expenses.
The report shows a staggering gap in revenue and costs between leagues — and all three tiers of leagues have greater costs than they do revenue.
Tier 1 leagues, which FIFA classified as the world’s top leagues, averaged over $4.4 million in revenue but averaged nearly $7.6 million in expenses, the study found. Tier 3 leagues reported only $76,000 in revenue, with $182,000 in expenses.
Tier 1 leagues were considered “elite,” while Tier 2 was classified as “aspiring leagues” and Tier 3 was known as “emerging leagues.” FIFA declined to disclose which leagues were classified in which tiers, although there were some parameters provided to the methodology.
There are major differences in scale even among the world’s elite leagues: The league generating the highest revenue in Tier 1 “earned many hundreds of times that of the lowest” revenue-earner, the report states. FIFA did not confirm which league that is.
Average numbers in the report appear to be skewed by this wide range of leagues within each tier.
A recent Deloitte report stated that Barcelona earned the most revenue among women’s teams in Europe, at over $19 million. The National Women’s Soccer League’s top revenue-earning team, for example, almost doubles that.
Each of those teams are among the world’s elite, but FIFA’s report lists the average operating revenue for a Tier 1 club as $1.35 million.
“This month FIFA announced the timelines and formats for two new, landmark, global FIFA women’s club competitions,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. “As we embark on the development of these tournaments, it is equally important that we offer insights and resources to women’s football stakeholders so that together we can build on the solid foundations already in place. FIFA will utilise the findings to build tailor-made programmes that will support Member Associations to continue to professionalise women’s football — this is critical as we embark on a new era for women’s club football on the global stage.”
Whether the differences in investment and resources affect the quality of play will become clearer soon. FIFA announced last week that it will launch a competition in January 2026 pitting the six continental champions against each other ahead of a larger-scale Women’s Club World Cup that will launch in 2028.
According to FIFA’s latest benchmarking study, the average global gross player salary is just $10,900, a number weighed down by the lower tiers. Still, the average gross salary only for Tier 1 clubs is around $24,300.
There are parallels between the financial disparities and leagues’ access to resources.
Only 38% of Tier 3 players were offered health insurance, just over half the percentage of Tier 1. Maternity leave is accessible to 64% of players in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 leagues, but only 22% of players in Tier 3 leagues.
FIFA’s report identifies maternity leave as “an achievable first step” for enhancing support to pregnant and post-partum players.
FIFA chief football officer Jill Ellis added: “One of the key findings in the report is that, across 86 leagues and 669 clubs, only 22% of head coaches are women. While we cannot improve this figure overnight, by unearthing and analysing the data we can understand where we need to continue to invest, implement and perhaps even evolve our women’s coach development programmes to unlock more opportunities for women and empower everyone working in women’s football – on and off the pitch.”
Staffing and administrative costs represented the greatest proportional increases in spending by Tier 1 leagues over less established leagues.
Ninety-five percent of Tier 1 players have access to a players’ association, while only 36% of players in Tier 3 leagues enjoy the same resource. Even in Tier 1, only 36% of players have a collective bargaining agreement.
The study also found that only 22% of head coaches across all leagues surveyed are female. FIFA views improved coaching pathways for women as a high priority and attempts to bridge that gap through a coaching mentorship program.
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