Is Women’s Soccer Shifting Toward European Clubs Due to Pay Gaps?
Appeal for European shores grows for women’s soccer in America. The trend of playing in a European league has risen for high-performing professional women’s players. At the core of the shift has to be money; it’s money that drives the movement of athletes from one team to another. Second is the influence and expertise gained in the European leagues.
Compared to their male counterparts, women's soccer players earn about 25 cents for every dollar earned by a male soccer player. The pay gap is real and significant, demonstrating the true passion women have for the sport. The reason for the massive revenue gap is due to lower ticket sales, less sponsorship investment, and smaller broadcasting rights fees, which leads to lower salaries and lower budgets. Over the past four decades, the American women’s teams have been defining women’s soccer with an influx of youth participation spreading their success across the globe. Underinvestment in women's marketing and promotion has lagged behind the development of more women's soccer player programs. Top-tier European leagues such as Chelsea FC are able to fund players like starting center back Naomi Girma with a $1.1 million dollar contract, recruiting her from the National Women’s Soccer League team San Diego Wave.
The NWSL has a salary pay cap of approximately three million dollars. Most players in NWSL are not being paid wages that reflect their talents and the professional impression they make on the league and game. The Women’s Soccer League in Europe does not have a cap, so their willingness to pay higher salaries is a lure, plus the myriad of international players within club teams. Most of the time, NWSL clubs recruit domestic talent for their roster, promoting national heritage and fostering legacy. This also suggests a domestic style of play is diminishing exposure to versatile development. The opposite occurs amongst European leagues, where international talent brings a dynamic mix of play that prepares players for major matches, such as the World Cup. Hopefully, the owners of the NWSL will recognize with a sense of urgency the needs of national team players, the value these elite athletes contribute to the organization, and the sacrifices made on the path to greatness.
