Women's football has grown significantly in the past 10 years as countries begin to back their national teams and some of Europe's biggest football clubs invest more in their women's sides.
Last year's European Championship final saw a record 87,000 fans pack out Wembley Stadium to see England's Lionesses win their first piece of major silverware, and large crowds are expected for the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Wages for women's players are continuing to rise, particularly in Europe, and so is the prize money on offer to footballers and federations for achievements at continental and international tournaments.
What does the average female footballer earn per year, though? And how does this compare to elite male footballers who are famously handsomely paid? The Sporting News looks at the numbers around the world.
MORE: Complete Women's World Cup schedule
How much do women's footballers earn in Europe?
It is difficult to ascertain the exact salaries of women's footballers as they are not made fully public by their clubs, though there is still a large body of information on the topic available.
In the aftermath of England's Euros win, multiple outlets reported the salaries of various players on the England Women's team, many of whom play in the English Women's Super League (WSL).
The BBC reportedcaptain Leah Williamson was on a salary of £200,000 (roughly $254,000) at her club side Arsenal, whilst Chelsea and Matildas superstar Sam Kerr is rumoured to be on£400,000 ($509,000) a year.
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However, this is far above the average of most WSL players, with the BBC stating the mean figure is around £47,000 (approximately $58,000) per year, and an investigation by The Telegraph last year found that some players were earning as little as£20,000 (approximately $25,000) per year.
To say this pales in comparison to the figures of England's Premier League is an understatement: Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne is rumoured to be on£20 million ($25 million) a year, meaning his weekly earnings are more than the best paid WSL player makes in a year.
The problem is similar in mainland Europe: whilst some players at powerhouse French side Lyon are believed to be on£420,000 (roughly $534,000) a year, coach for the German national teamMartina Voss-Tecklenburg called for a minimum salary in her country's domestic league, claiming many players had to take second jobs in order to have enough money to live.
How much do women's footballers earn in the United States?
The American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the players agreed to their first ever collective bargaining agreement last year, with a minimum salary of $35,000, an increase of 60%.
However, reports state the maximum salary is still only $75,000, whilst it is believed the average salary for a NWSL player sits at $57,000.
This means that the maximum salary in the NWSL isbelowthe minimum salary in the men's Major League Soccer, which also has a much larger salary cap ($4.9 million compared to the NWSL's $1.1 million) and the ability for teams to sign 'designated players' outside the salary cap, meaning star MLS players can earn well over the $612,500 maximum salary.
The presence of a maximum salary in the NWSL has seen many of the world's top players make the move to Europe in recent years, as leagues in the continent are not bound to such restrictions.
How much do female footballers earn by playing for their country?
There is beginning to be some parity in terms of how much federations pay players to play for their national team, with many countries now offering their men's and women's players the same match fees.
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England, Australia, Norway, and, as of last year, USA all have such deals in place that have been praised as a step in the right direction towards equal and fair payment for female footballers. However, chasms in other areas remain.
The biggest gaps are found in terms of the prize money offered to men's teams compared to women's teams. Despite being the most successful women's team in the world, the USWNT earned less in bonuses from their 2019 World Cup victory ($2.5 million) than the men's team would for the same result at a men's World Cup ($9.38 million).
The BBC also stated the Lionesses were only given a bonus of£1.3 million ($1.6 million) for their Euros win, whereas the men's side would have received£5 million ($6.3 million) had they done the same in Euro 2020. There has been a dispute over bonuses for the coming World Cup, too.
FIFA prize money for men's World Cup vs. Women's World Cup
The gap in prize money offered by FIFA to teams in the men's World Cup compared to the Women's World Cup is stark, with $440 million available to teams at last year's tournament in Qatar versus $110 million on offer for the teams travelling to Australia and New Zealand.
It should be said the $110 million is an increase from the original $60 million on the table, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino announcing the increase in March this year; FIFA has also stated its wishes to award equal amounts of prize money at the men's and Women's World Cups by 2027.
FIFA also announced a new player bonus structure for the 2023 World Cup, with all 23 players in the 32 World Cup squads set to receive a minimum of $30,000, with the amount received by the players increasing with every round that their country progresses.
It means players earn $60,000 if their team reaches the knockout stages, $195,000 for reaching the final, and $275,000 if they become world champions.
