Almost half of women's players weighing early exit, FIFPRO finds
Almost half of professional women's footballers are thinking about leaving the game earlier than planned. The finding comes from FIFPRO's 2026 report, Working Conditions in Women's Football, based on interviews with 800 players around the world The Guardian.
Money drives the thought. Among the 49% considering an early exit, 59% cited their financial situation as a reason. Another 46% pointed to psychological stress.
Pay has grown, but from a low base. Inflation-adjusted average monthly club pay has tripled since FIFPRO's 2017 study to $2,601. The median, the middle wage when every salary is lined up in order, stands at $1,669.
The gaps remain stark. In 10 eastern European countries analysed, average salaries sit below the national minimum wage. Only 56% of players surveyed have an employment contract. Just 13% receive a club pension.
Security is improving slowly. Average contract length has risen from 12 months in 2017 to 19 months in 2026. The share of players with agents has climbed from 14% to 41%. Yet only 8 of the 30 national women's leagues studied have a collective agreement, a formal joint deal on pay and conditions, with players through their unions.
Support off the pitch lags behind. Almost half of players, 47%, said their clubs did not have sufficient staff. More than half, 57%, said they had struggled with their mental health. Half of that group said they had not been given support by their club.
One area has moved forward. FIFA, football's world governing body, introduced global minimum maternity standards in 2021. The proportion of players considering leaving to have a family has now fallen to 19%.
FIFPRO, the worldwide body for players' unions, describes the study as its most extensive review of pay and working conditions FIFPRO.
For fans, this matters because the women's game keeps giving strangers something to share. Full houses, late winners, new heroes. That noise depends on players being able to stay, earn a living and get help when it gets heavy.
