While female football players may not draw big bucks in comparison to their male counterparts, some of them still end up earning fortunes. Football federations all over the globe, spearheaded by FIFA, the apex global governing body for the sport, have started stressing the need for parity between male and female football players in terms of their earnings. The wages offered by the clubs of late also indicate the same. As such, the curiosity regarding the highest paid female footballer in the world is hardly ill-found, especially with theFIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 finals of England VS Spain just about to commence.
However, before we can answer who the highest-paid female football players are, there are other factors that need to be considered. It hardly comes as a surprise when we say that the majority of a player’s earnings comes from the salary she draws from her contract with the club and/or her national team. In terms of earnings exclusively from a player’s respective team, Australian forward Sam Kerr sits atop the list. Her present contract with English footballing giant Chelsea sees her earn an annual wage of around USD 528,345. Dutch football player Vivianne Miedema has an annual salary of USD 492,210 with another English behemoth, Arsenal. United States’ Alex Morgan sits at the third spot with a wage of around USD 475,511 that she receives from the San Diego Wave FC.
However, we also have to consider the fact that a player’s earnings are catalysed by her brand endorsem*nts and sponsorship deals. In some cases, the amount received from such brand deals even eclipses the player’s salaries. Such sources of income also need to be taken into consideration since the amount adds to the player’s overall wealth. While the brand value of a player like Alex Morgan or Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas justifies their place on the list of highest paid female footballers, the exclusion of Sam Kerr or Ada Hegerberg, arguably the best players in recent times, comes as a shock.
Keeping the aforementioned points in mind, we take a look at the highest-paid female football players of 2023 on the basis of their annual gross earnings.
Who are the highest-paid female footballers in 2023?
Alex Morgan
As mentioned above, the American superstar draws a wage of USD 475,511 per season from the National Women’s Soccer League side San Diego Wave. However, her earnings off the football field are off the charts.
Morgan boasts a decorated and valuable endorsem*nt portfolio which includes big names like Swiss luxury watchmakers Hublot, Coca-Cola’s sports drink subsidiary brand Bodyarmor and Michelob Ultra, a beer brand under Anheuser-Busch. The beer manufacturers also featured her in a commercial for the Super Bowl alongside legendary tennis player Serena Williams and other celebrities. The American female football player is also one of the co-founders of the media company Togethrx, along with other athletes Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel and Sue Bird. At the age of 34, Alex Morgan is the highest-paid female football player in the world, as of 2023.
Gross annual earnings: USD 7.1 million
Megan Rapinoe
A two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner (in 2015 and in 2019), an Olympic gold medallist (in 2012), a Ballon d’Or Feminin winner (in 2019) and winner of the Best FIFA Women’s Player (also in 2019), there is no award that Megan Rapinoe does not already have in her trophy cabinet. In her illustrious career of over 17 years, the American midfielder has also made a fortune for herself through her earnings both on and off the field. According to her contract with NWSL team OL Reign, Rapinoe earns an annual wage of USD 473,772. She also has a contract with Nike and has appeared in their brand commercials for several years. Of late, Rapinoe has taken an equity stake in Happy Viking, a plant-based food startup founded by tennis superstar Venus Williams.
At 38, the veteran midfielder has already declared that the 2023 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be her last appearance in the marquee quadrennial event. Nevertheless, Megan Rapinoe, even at the fa*g end of her career, remains one of the highest-paid female footballers in the world.
Gross annual earnings: USD 7 million
Alexia Putellas
Regarded as one of the best female football players in the world in 2023, and an all-time great, Alexia Putellas is one of the most influential female athletes of the modern era. The Spanish midfielder, who plays for FC Barcelona’s women’s team, earns around USD 147,761 from her current contract. The two-time Ballon d’Or Feminin winner (in 2021 and 2022) is one of the most influential female football players in the world, trailing only Swiss player Alisha Lehmann in terms of followers on Instagram.
Putellas also has several brand endorsem*nt deals, notable of which are her collaborations with Nike, Spanish automobile manufacturer Cupra Racing, American eyewear manufacturer Oakley and Swedish audio streaming service Spotify. The captain of the FC Barcelona women’s team, at the age of 29, is currently in her prime, so it’s likely that she will find herself dominating the list of the highest-paid female football players in the world for years to come.
Gross annual earnings: USD 4 million
Trinity Rodman
At the tender age of 21, the forward who plays for the NWSL side Washington Spirit and the United States women’s national soccer team is already one of the highest-paid female football players in the world. This isn’t all that surprising, given that the player from California had previously broken the record for the youngest drafted player in NWSL history when she was drafted at the age of 18. Currently, Rodman receives an annual salary of USD 288,670 from Washington Spirit.
The American youngster also has long-term brand endorsem*nt deals with companies such as Adidas, Oakley, Red Bull and Gatorade. All in all, Trinity Rodman is an exciting prospect and her potential on the field has not gone unnoticed by fans and experts alike.
Gross annual earnings: USD 2.3 million
Crystal Dunn
Yet another American female football player on the list, Crystal Dunn is arguably the most versatile player in women’s football. She plays as a midfielder for NWSL club Portland Thorns and as a left-back for the United States national women’s team. Dunn has made over 100 appearances in women’s international football over a span of a decade. The midfielder, hailing from New York, earns roughly USD 95,000 annually from her contract with Portland Thorns. However, it is her earnings off the field that have helped Dunn make a fortune. The veteran football player has a brand endorsem*nt deal with Mastercard, one of the largest payment processing corporations worldwide. She also has deals with Nike, American chips manufacturer Frito-Lay, and wellness solutions brand Therabody. At 31 years of age, Crystal Dunn still has a few years left in her career before she decides to hang her boots.
Gross annual earnings: USD 2 million
Julie Ertz
Playing for over a decade with the United States women’s national soccer team, Julie Ertz has won two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles (in 2015 and 2019) and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The American midfielder has made over 100 international appearances, in which time she has scored 20 goals. Ertz also plays for the NWSL club Angel City FC and receives a salary of around USD 456,143 per season. Additionally, the 31-year-old enjoys a rich endorsem*nt portfolio which greatly contributes to her wealth. American multinational fast-food chain Subway has Julie Ertz as one of its brand ambassadors. Ertz also has brand endorsem*nt deals with Spotify and the American sparkling water brand LaCroix.
A core member of the United States team, Ertz is aiming to defend her nation’s title and win a record third consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Gross annual earnings: USD 2 million
Sophia Smith
At just 22 years of age, Sophia Smith has got the world of football dancing to her tunes.
Hailing from Colorado, the forward plays for NWSL side Portland Thorns. Smith was the recipient of the NWSL Most Valuable Player and US Soccer Female Player of the Year honours in 2022, and her heroics helped the Portland-based club lift the NWSL trophy for the 2022 season. She reportedly receives around USD 300,000 per year from her contract with Portland Thorns. Given her performances on the field, it comes as no surprise that Smith also has endorsem*nt deals with several brands. The major brands in her endorsem*nt portfolio include Nike, digital financial services company Ally Bank, Canadian dietary supplement producer BioSteel Sports Nutrition and beer manufacturer Bud Light (which falls under the parent group of Anheuser-Busch).
Gross annual earnings: USD 2 million
Lindsey Horan
Lindsey Horan is the only player in the present United States team participating in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 who plays club football in Europe. The versatile attacking player, who can play both as a forward and as a midfielder, has been a part of the national women’s team for over ten years, during which time she has featured in 131 matches. She has also been a part of the United States team that won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 and an Olympic bronze medal in 2020. Playing for French club Olympique Lyonnais, Horan also won the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2022. The American female football player earns roughly USD 500,000 from her contract with Olympique Lyonnais. Off the field, Horan endorses several brands, notable of which are the juice manufacturer Cheribundi and Microsoft’s Xbox.
Gross annual earnings: USD 1.5 million
Rose Lavelle
Injuries have plagued Rose Lavelle’s career in recent times, but she remains one of the highest-paid female football players in 2023. Playing for NWSL club OL Reign, the midfielder draws an annual salary of approximately USD 45,000. However, it’s her brand endorsem*nt deals have largely contributed to her fortune. The 28-year-old has endorsem*nt deals with Nike, topical pain relieving cream manufacturer Icy Hot and American fast-food restaurant chain Chipotle.
Gross annual earnings: 1.4 million
Sofia Huerta
Rounding off the list of the highest-paid female football players playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is 30-year-old American right-back Sofia Huerta.
Huerta plays for the United States women’s national team and NWSL club OL Reign. The American female football player previously represented Mexico in international competitions before switching over to the United States in 2017. Her brand endorsem*nt deals have heavily contributed to her wealth. Huerta recently signed an endorsem*nt deal with Lotto Sport, an Italian sports equipment manufacturer. She also endorses Mexican-American brands such as De La Viuda Hot Sauce and Siete Foods. Sofia Huerta is one of the few defenders to be included in our list of highest-paid female football players since it is almost customary for brands to run after goal scorers for endorsem*nt deals. Such is the impact she has had on the world of football.
Gross annual earnings: USD 1.3 million
Keep up with the latest news on the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 here.
(Hero and featured image credit: Alexia Putellas/Facebook & @alexmorgan13/Instagram)
