Who earns the most among the Lionesses?

Discover what England's leading female football stars really make

Fresh from their sensational Euros triumph, the Lionesses are cashing in. They scored a plum payout after roaring to victory and now stand to make even more from sponsor bonuses, endorsement deals, and skyrocketing social media revenue. Yet despite the rapidly rising profile of women's football, a staggering gender pay gap persists: the nation's elite female players take home as little as 1% of what their male counterparts rake in.

So, how much do the England women's team actually earn, and which player makes the most? Click or scroll on to find out.

The Lionesses' Euros bonus bonanza

The Euros win landed the Lionesses a collective FA bonus of £1.7 million, averaging £73,000 per player, according to The Mirror. This is £18,000 more than they received for their 2022 Euros victory.

The squad is expected to bank an estimated £1 million from sponsor bonuses, and the star players could secure endorsement deals worth £10 million. On top of this, £2 million is poised to flow in from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. While these numbers certainly aren't to be sniffed at, they're a fraction of what top male players make off the pitch.

How much do women footballers earn?

Looking at on-pitch salaries, the figures are even more sobering.

As per the latest FIFA Women's Football Benchmarking Report, which covers 86 leagues and 669 clubs around the globe, just 16 clubs across seven countries pay their female footballers more than a relatively modest £37,400 a year, with the average salary for a woman in the game only around £8,160 globally.

What do the top-tier women footballers earn?

The figure is higher for tier one clubs, but at approximately £18,000, the typical yearly wage for the world's elite female players is nothing to write home about.

That said, a tiny minority of clubs do pay significantly more. As per FIFA's findings, the most generous side rewards its female players with an average annual wage of around £90,000, while the crème de la crème of women's football are paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

What do Women's Super League players earn?

In England, the numbers are pretty dismal but not all that bad compared to many other countries. The average annual pay in the top-tier Women's Super League (WSL), which was created in 2011, stood at just £47,000 in 2022, according to a BBC analysis.

As highlighted by The Manchester Evening News, this is 100 times less than the £4.7 million a male Wolves player earns a year, which is about average for a Premier League footballer.

Blackburn Rovers' minimum wage scandal

The situation is even more dire further down the pyramid. Controversy erupted last year when it emerged the Blackburn Rovers women’s team would be paid the UK minimum wage during the 2025-2026 season due to financial restraints. The club ended up having to withdraw from the second-tier WSL2 and will play in the fourth tier of English women's football next season.

Now, let's take a look at the top-earning Lionesses based on their estimated salaries.

Ella Toone: £70,000 a year

England midfielder Ella Toone plays for Manchester United, one of the 'Big Four' English women's football clubs, along with Manchester City, Arsenal, and the number-one, Chelsea. In fact, every Lioness in our round-up belongs to one of these elite teams. Toone is said to take home £70,000 a year, not a huge amount but considerably more than the average salary for a player in the Women's Super League (WSL), which is reportedly £47,000.

Like most female professional players, Toone has a slew of side hustles to supplement her income, including a football academy for girls and a creative agency that helps female athletes gain promotional opportunities. Toone also boasts plenty of big-name sponsors, including Nike, McDonald's, and Charlotte Tilbury.

Alex Greenwood: £200,000 a year

England defender and Manchester City captain Alex Greenwood is one of the most recognisable faces in the women's game. Her net worth was estimated at around £1.2 million by The Sun in 2023, and the figure has likely grown markedly since, thanks to her estimated annual City salary of £200,000 and a plethora of commercial ventures.

Off the pitch, Greenwood has garnered a series of high-profile brand partnerships. She’s an ambassador for Under Armour and Revolut, has a collaboration with underwear brand Snuggs, and co-designed a football-inspired jewellery collection with Abbot Lyon. Greenwood is also one of the founders of nutrition brand Boast Elite.

Lucy Bronze: £200,000 a year

Chelsea is the most successful English women's football team, boasting a record eight WSL championships, including six consecutive titles and the most recent season's trophy. Right-back Lucy Bronze earns a reported £200,000 annually from the Blues.

The gutsy defender, who played the entire Euros tournament with a broken leg, is one of the wealthiest Lionesses, with an estimated net worth of £3.5 million in 2023, a figure established while she was playing for Barcelona. Her endorsement portfolio has included partnerships with Visa and Spotify, and she recently signed a deal to promote Rexona deodorant.

Leah Williamson: £200,000 a year

England captain Leah Williamson is among the most high-profile female footballers globally and she's thought to be the richest British player, with a net worth estimated at £4 million in 2023.

The Arsenal centre-back earns £200,000 a year from the North London club, but it's her off-pitch ventures that truly elevate her income. Williamson has cleaned up from an array of prestigious brand deals with the likes of Gucci, Calvin Klein, Nike, Mastercard, and Aston Martin. She's even released her own children's book.

With 1.2 million Instagram followers and over 240,000 on TikTok, Williamson's strong social media presence makes her a marketer's dream and allows her to earn significant fees, reportedly up to £10,000 or more per Instagram post.

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Beth Mead: £200,000 a year

Beth Mead is the top WSL goalscorer in this round-up, and the third most prolific in the entire league.

The first female footballer to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the Arsenal forward is said to earn £200,000 annually from the club, and she posted assets of £1.3 million in 2023. Away from the pitch, Mead has a string of lucrative brand partnerships and endorsement deals with Nike, McDonald's, Marks & Spencer, and other major names.

Keira Walsh: £382,000 a year

Keira Walsh holds the record for the most expensive transfer fee for a female English player, with the midfielder's move from Barcelona to Chelsea earlier this year valued at £460,000. Walsh is reportedly earning an annual salary of £382,000 at Stamford Bridge, though it's important to reiterate this is an estimate and the real figure could be higher.

Off-pitch, Walsh has picked up some enviable promotional deals, including a brand ambassadorship for Spanish carmaker CUPRA and a partnership with Nike.

Lauren Hemp: £400,000 a year

Lauren Hemp isn't just a force on the field; the England and Manchester City forward's off-pitch ventures are equally impressive. Beyond her estimated £400,000 annual salary from City, Hemp has shrewdly parlayed her personal interests into brand partnerships.

Most uniquely, her well-known passion for Lego has evolved into a sponsorship deal with the iconic toy brick manufacturer. Hemp has also worked with Nike and Sports Direct. The Sun put the top player's net worth at £1.1 million in 2023, but given her continued success on and off the pitch, that number has no doubt grown significantly since.

Sarina Wiegman: £400,000 a year

Stepping beyond the players, we turn to the tactical mastermind in charge: England manager Sarina Wiegman. After brilliantly steering the Lionesses to their latest Euros triumph, she's reportedly in line for an honorary damehood.

Despite her unparalleled success, the seasoned coach earns a reported £400,000 a year, plus bonuses. While this is far from small change, the figure is utterly dwarfed by the estimated £5 million taken home annually by Thomas Tuchel, the manager of the England men's team. It means Wiegman, at the absolute pinnacle of her sport, is paid almost 13 times less than her male counterpart.

Alessia Russo: £500,000 a year

Back to the players, powerhouse striker Alessia Russo scored the crucial equaliser that led to penalties, ultimately securing victory in the Euros final for the national team. The Arsenal forward, who was last season's joint top WSL scorer with 12 goals in total, reportedly commands a salary of half a million pounds a year.

Russo's earning prowess isn't confined to the pitch, however. Off-field, her star power is immense, with Forbes reporting she hauled in an astonishing £2 million in 2023 alone through brand partnerships. Russo's premium endorsement portfolio includes collaborations with Gucci, PlayStation, Adidas, Beats by Dr Dre, and Oakley, cementing her status as one of the game's leading commercial talents.

Lauren James: £600,000 a year

Chelsea forward Lauren James has the highest confirmed salary in the English women's game. Tax records show she earns £600,000 a year from the club. While The Sun estimated her net worth at £1.8 million in 2023, that figure was likely on the low side, especially since James has secured numerous off-pitch deals with Nike, Barclays, Sure, and other prominent brands.

Still, James' position at the top of the women’s pay scale underscores football’s glaring gender pay gap. Her brother Reece James, who as it happens is captain of the Chelsea men's team, reportedly earns £250,000 a week. Basically, he makes in under three weeks what his sister earns in an entire year.

Chloe Kelly: ?

The current golden girl of English football, Chloe Kelly scored the decisive penalty that bagged the national team their victory over Spain in the Euros final. Now the most popular England women's player on social media, Kelly's clout is off the charts and has landed her money-spinning deals with Land Rover, Nike, Calvin Klein, and more.

The superstar forward’s salary at Arsenal hasn’t been disclosed, and estimates based on her previous earnings at Manchester City vary wildly, ranging from £228,915 to as much as £933,500 a year (which would make her the top earner in English women's football). What’s certain though is that Kelly is already a multimillionaire. And with brands queuing up to sign her, Kelly's net worth is only going to mushroom from here.

Who is the world's top-earning female footballer?

The star players of the England women's team are among the highest-paid female footballers in the world. But Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí reigns as the global leader by confirmed club salary. A 2024 analysis by GiveMeSport put her annual earnings at Barça at an astonishing £835,000.

Recognised as one of the greatest female players ever, Bonmatí has one of the most heaving trophy cabinets in the game. Not only a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, she's also a World Cup champion and three-time UEFA Champions League winner, solidifying her legendary status.

Who is the world's most expensive female footballer?

While Aitana Bonmatí holds the title for the highest confirmed salary in women's football, another player has just made history in a different financial arena.

In a landmark move in July, Olivia Smith became the first million-pound player in the women's game, smashing the transfer record with her £1 million move from Liverpool to Arsenal. The Canadian international’s groundbreaking fee marks a new era of investment in the women's game.

Women's football goes from strength to strength

In fact, the future of women's football, in England and around the world, is looking very bright indeed.

In the WSL, record-breaking sponsorship and broadcast deals are pouring in, with Barclays committing £45 million and a new bumper BBC/Sky deal running through to 2030. Club revenues are soaring, with every WSL team now earning over £1 million, and the league will expand to 14 teams by 2026–27. Attendance at international games has surged, and the fanbase for women's football worldwide is projected to hit 800 million by 2030, propelling it into the top five of global sports. The momentum is undeniable: women’s football is on the rise and it's here to stay.

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