The have truly made history by lifting the trophy.
It’s the Lionesses’ first major tournament win – not to mention the first time any England football team has won one since the 1966 , or won a European championship. Ever.
Adding to the glory is the fact that the final (which saw England ) broke and .
Hopefully, the players on this very special England team – including scorers Ella Toone and – will be revelling in their triumph for weeks and months to come.
But will they be feeling the financial benefit of their success, too? Jut how much do professional women footballers make compared to their colleagues playing the men’s game?
Here’s what we know.
How much do women footballers get paid?
Women’s Super League (WSL) is the top league in women’s football here in England.
Reports suggest that WSL players receive an average salary of £25,000 to £27,000 per year. Some may earn less (£20,000), while others may earn a bit more (£30,000).
Some say there are a select few players who can earn more than this, such as Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, who is often reported to earn a salary of around £400,000 per year.
However, while it’s equivalent to the Premier League in status (i.e. it’s the top league you can play in), there’s a massive difference when it comes to the money.
In 2019, reported that an average Premier League player’s pay was around £61,000 per week – totalling more than £3 million a year.
Many big-name players, of course, will be earning even more than that.
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly commands an eye-watering £26 million salary – while Man City’s Jack Grealish earns £15.6 million, according to .
But what do England’s women’s squad earn, particularly when they win a big tournament like the UEFA Women’s European Championships?
Well, the Football Association () now compensates players on both England teams equally for representing their country.
It says: ‘The FA pays its women’s players exactly the same as their male counterparts for representing England, both in terms of match fees and match bonuses.
‘This parity has been in place since January 2020.’
Reports say the Lionesses will each be paid a bonus of £55,000 by the FA for winning Euro 2022 – while also earning a reported £2,000 per game, whenever they play for England.
The women’s team will also win prize money from UEFA, which hosts the Euro.
England have taken home a reported £1.74 million (nearly €2.1m) in total – for their participation, undefeated track record throughout the competition, and eventual victory.
In total, the Women’s Euro 2022 prize fund totalled £13.3 million (€16 million) – which is double what it was in 2017, when the Women’s Euro last took place, according to
Each of the 16 women’s international teams playing this year received at least £502,000 (€600,000) for competing – with bonuses for drawing matches and winning them in the group stages.
Hopefully, the Lionesses will receive plenty of sponsorship opportunities following their win – and the WSL will get a boost, too – meaning more money for players and women’s football in general.
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