**England’s Lionesses: Pay, Prize Money, and the Ongoing Gender Gap at Euro 2025**
As England’s Lionesses prepare to face Spain in the final of Euro 2025, their remarkable success on the pitch is once again drawing national attention. The upcoming match marks their third successive major tournament final under the stewardship of manager Sarina Wiegman, who led the squad to their maiden Euro triumph in 2022 and then to the World Cup final just a year later. The team are now poised to try and become the first English side to retain a major international title—a feat that would cement their legacy within the game.
While the anticipation mounts for what promises to be a thrilling rematch against the reigning world champions, the Lionesses’ achievements have also reignited conversations about the financial disparities that persist in the sport. The issue of gender pay gaps in football, particularly at the elite level, remains unresolved despite recent progress and increased investment.
This year, UEFA has announced that the total prize fund for the Women’s European Championship has reached a record €41 million (£34 million)—a leap of 156% from the €16 million distributed at Euro 2022. Each participating nation, including Wales, is assured of a base fee of €1.8 million (£1.57 million), and the title winners could ultimately secure up to €5.1 million (£4.45 million) when factoring in additional bonuses. The increase underscores a growing recognition of the women’s game, reflecting its soaring popularity and standards.
Yet, the gulf between the women’s and men’s competitions is still striking. For context, UEFA awarded €331 million (£289 million) in total prize money at the men’s Euro 2024 tournament, with every team receiving at least €9.25 million (£8.08 million) simply for qualifying. Spain’s men, as champions, could reach earnings of up to €28.25 million (£24.67 million), glaringly outclassing the women’s top prize.
In a positive move, UEFA now requires participating nations to allocate between 30% and 40% of any received prize money to their players, echoing FIFA’s recent directive at the Women’s World Cup. This aims to ensure a fairer distribution directly benefiting athletes. England’s Football Association has also taken steps to avoid disputes that previously cast a shadow over the Lionesses, agreeing on a collective bonus of £1.75 million for a tournament win.
Nonetheless, outside of international duties, England’s women still face major financial hurdles in club football. Although both the men’s and women’s national squads receive approximately £2,000 per match—most of which is traditionally donated to charity—the earnings of female players at club level are dwarfed by those of their male counterparts in the Premier League. While the most prominent Women’s Super League players may earn low six-figure annual salaries, many male stars accrue similar sums on a weekly basis.
Interestingly, the largest salaries in the women’s game are generally found outside England. According to Give Me Sport, among the top nine earners, only Keira Walsh—currently at Barcelona—represents England, reportedly bringing in £380,000 per year. The vast majority of elite female footballers worldwide remain significantly underpaid in comparison to men.
A recent FIFA benchmarking report paints a sobering picture. Globally, the average annual salary for a female professional footballer is just $10,900 (£8,400), a figure skewed by lucrative contracts awarded at a handful of top clubs. Within 41 ‘Tier 1’ clubs across 16 nations, that average rises to $24,000 (£17,860), but only a small minority offer players more than $50,000 (£37,210) annually. Lower down the ladder, the financial situation is much starker: players in ‘Tier 2’ clubs earn on average $4,361 (£3,246) per year, whilst those in ‘Tier 3’ receive an average of $2,805 (£2,088).
The report—aptly titled “Setting the Pace”—underscores the ongoing need for reform. It highlights the challenge so many female professionals face in striving to support themselves solely through football, often having to look for supplementary work to make ends meet. As the women’s game continues to break new ground, the drive to provide players with a sustainable livelihood from football alone remains a central issue.
With the Lionesses now standing on the threshold of further history, their achievements continue to inspire fans across the country and prompt urgent discussions on equity. While prize pots and payment structures have improved, there remains considerable ground to cover if women footballers are to enjoy conditions on a par with their male peers. The Euro 2025 final may be a new battle on the pitch, but for women’s football as a whole, the fight for financial parity continues off it.