While the prize money for this year’s World Cup has risen to US$110 million—nearly quadruple 2019’s US$30 million, with at least half earmarked for the players rather than their federations—it still remains a quarter of the men’s fund.
The United States Women’s National Team has dominated international soccer for decades, and after two straight Women’s World Cup titles, they are favoured to extend the streak to three. The Americans are just as unbeatable at the bank, however, claiming 11 of the 15 spots on the list of the highest-paid players at this year’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
Leading the way are USWNT veterans Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, who both cleared $7 million over the last 12 months (before taxes and agents’ fees), according to Forbes estimates. That includes their on-field compensation from U.S. Soccer and their National Women’s Soccer League club contracts as well as off-field earnings from endorsements, appearances, licensing, memorabilia and other business activities.
The Americans have considerable advantages over their overseas rivals after signing a landmark collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Soccer in May 2022 that equalized pay with the men’s national team from appearance fees, performance bonuses and commercial revenue. The two teams also pool their World Cup prize money, which is significant given that the women’s team will receive a $6.5 million share of the men’s winnings from reaching the Round of 16 in Qatar in December—exceeding the $6 million the women collected from their 2015 and 2019 World Cup wins combined. Factoring in their club salaries, most Team USA stalwarts are making about $800,000 on the field, depending on how many national-team appearances they made (and excluding any bonus from this summer’s performance). In many other countries, even the biggest stars struggle to crack half that total.
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Thanks in part to the team’s massive success over the past 30 years, brands have also been more willing to support women’s soccer in the United States than in other markets, including European nations where the sport reigns supreme on the men’s side. Forbes estimates that six Americans at the World Cup are making at least $1 million off the field. Across every other roster at the tournament, there is just one player at that level: Spain’s Alexia Putellas, at $3.2 million off the field and $4 million overall.
Of course, all of these figures look meager next to the eye-popping numbers in the men’s game. Forbes’ 2023 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes had three soccer players at the top: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, each of whom hauled in at least $120 million over the 12 months ending in May. Together, the 15 women in the 2023 World Cup ranking make less than a third of any of those men’s stars. “Nike is paying these elite athletes what they pay interns,” one agent says disdainfully.
And while the prize money for the Women’s World Cup has risen to $110 million—nearly quadruple 2019’s $30 million, with at least half earmarked for the players rather than their federations—it still remains a quarter of the men’s fund, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino said this week that he could not guarantee every player would receive her share. (The organization had said last month that all players at the tournament would receive at least $30,000, with members of the winning team getting $270,000.) Players from Australia, the tournament host, called out the disparity this month; meanwhile, the teams from Canada, England, Jamaica, Nigeria and South Africa have been battling with their respective national federations over compensation.
But the women’s game has momentum. FIFA hopes—perhaps overly optimistically—to eliminate the World Cup gender pay gap by the 2027 women’s tournament, and ticket sales and viewership numbers are trending up. This week, U.S. Soccer sponsor Visa renewed its vow that 50% of its investment would go toward the women’s team and other women’s soccer initiatives, and players are finding endorsement opportunities with new brands and in new categories. Research firm SponsorUnited found last year that the NWSL had seen growth of over 150% in the number of brands buying sponsorships or media since 2019, more than four times the rate in the league’s men’s counterpart, Major League Soccer.
With a highlight moment in a championship run this summer, a player could push up her marketing earnings by hundreds of thousands of dollars, and perhaps even a million, one industry insider tells Forbes.
Despite the imbalances between the men’s and women’s games, player compensation has come a long way from 1999, when the USWNT captured the World Cup in a moment that gripped the nation but then faced a massive drop-off in opportunities. The first fully professional women’s soccer league in the U.S. wouldn’t launch for nearly two years—it lasted just three seasons—and with occasional exceptions for singular superstars like Mia Hamm, endorsement offers typically disappeared when a World Cup or an Olympics wasn’t imminent.
“Obviously things have changed dramatically in terms of the platform that this current team has, the league that they play in,” says Wasserman agent Dan Levy, who represented Hamm and now works with Morgan and Rapinoe. “There’s just a lot more opportunity for women now as they play the sport that they love.”
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP HIGHEST-PAID PLAYERS 2023
All figures are in USD.
#1 • $7.1 million
Alex Morgan
On-Field Earnings: $0.8 million | Off-Field Earnings: $6.3 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Forward | Age: 34
Alex Morgan is co-captain of the U.S. women’s national team for the 2023 World Cup.
Ira Black Corbis/Getty Images
Co-captain of the USWNT at the 2023 World Cup, Morgan has a valuable endorsement portfolio that includes Hublot, Cola-Cola’s Bodyarmor and Anheuser-Busch’s Michelob Ultra, which featured her in a Super Bowl commercial alongside other celebrities, including Serena Williams and Succession star Brian Cox. The San Diego Wave striker is also a cofounder of media company Togethxr, which is producing a Netflix docuseries on America’s latest World Cup run that is set to launch in the fall. And she is bolstering her philanthropic efforts with a foundation launched in March.
#2 • $7 million
Megan Rapinoe
On-Field Earnings: $0.7 million | Off-Field Earnings: $6.3 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Forward | Age: 38
Megan Rapinoe received the Presidential Medal of Freedom last July.
James Williamson/Getty Images
What a year it has already been for Rapinoe. Last July, she became the first soccer player—and just the sixth female athlete or coach—to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, honoring her advocacy work for LGBTQ rights and equal pay for women as well as her on-field accomplishments. A month later, the OL Reign winger took an equity stake in Venus Williams’ plant-based food startup, Happy Viking, and in December she launched a production company called A Touch More along with her partner, WNBA legend Sue Bird. And as she headed into what she has said will be her final World Cup, Rapinoe had the most branded social media posts of any women’s soccer player, according to a new report from SponsorUnited.
#3 • $4 million
Alexia Putellas
On-Field Earnings: $0.8 million | Off-Field Earnings: $3.2 million
Nationality: Spain | Position: Midfielder | Age: 29
Spain’s Alexia Putellas won the 2021 and 2022 Ballon d’Or Féminin as the world’s best women’s soccer player.
Juan Manuel Serrano/Arce/Getty Images
The winner of the 2021 and 2022 Ballon d’Or Féminin as the world’s best women’s soccer player, Putellas has three million followers on Instagram and ranked as the sport’s second-most-influential player on the app in a recent Nielsen report, trailing only Switzerland’s Alisha Lehmann. The FC Barcelona midfielder, who tore her ACL last July but returned to action in April, has a dozen long-term endorsement deals and was the subject of an Amazon Prime Video docuseries released in November 2022.
#4 • $2.3 million
Trinity Rodman
On-Field Earnings: $0.8 million | Off-Field Earnings: $1.5 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Forward | Age: 21
Trinity Rodman was the NWSL’s rookie of the year in 2021 and signed the league’s biggest contract ever, $1.1 million over four years.
Brad Smith/USSF/Getty Images
The famous surname certainly doesn’t hurt Rodman’s marketability—she is the daughter of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman—but the USWNT forward is making plenty of opportunities for herself as one of the sport’s most exciting young players. After winning the NWSL’s Rookie of the Year Award in 2021, she signed a four-year, $1.1 million extension with the Washington Spirit—the biggest deal in league history—and she has long-term partnerships with a half-dozen brands, including Adidas and Unilever.
#5 (tie) • $2 million
Crystal Dunn
On-Field Earnings: $0.7 million | Off-Field Earnings: $1.3 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Defender | Age: 31
Crystal Dunn typically plays as a left back for the U.S. national team but lines up as a midfielder with her NWSL club.
Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Dunn is known as the most versatile player in women’s soccer, lining up as a midfielder for the Portland Thorns and typically as a left back for the U.S. national team. She missed most of the 2022 season after giving birth to a son, but she is back in peak form this year, being selected for the NWSL’s “team of the month” for April and May. She also has long-term sponsorship deals with Nike, Frito-Lay, Mastercard and Therabody.
#5 (tie) • $2 million
Julie Ertz
On-Field Earnings: $0.7 million | Off-Field Earnings: $1.3 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Midfielder | Age: 31
Julie Ertz is a key defensive presence in the USWNT midfield.
Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Ertz, who is married to Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz, gave birth to a son in August and returned to competition with Angel City FC in April. She is back with the USWNT for the first time since the 2021 Olympics and is a key defensive presence in the midfield. She also has deals with eight brands, including Subway, LaCroix and Spotify.
#5 (tie) • $2 million
Sophia Smith
On-Field Earnings: $0.8 million | Off-Field Earnings: $1.2 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Forward | Age: 22
Sophia Smith is off to a spectacular start in 2023, with ten goals in 13 NWSL appearances.
Brad Smith/Isi Photos/Getty Images
Smith won the 2022 NWSL championship with the Portland Thorns and was named the league’s MVP, and she is off to a similarly spectacular start in 2023, with ten goals in 13 league appearances. Smith is also becoming an influencer for brands like Ally Financial and BioSteel, climbing to 161,000 followers on Instagram and more than doubling her social media following over the last year, according to the new SponsorUnited report. Smith will turn 23 during the World Cup’s Round of 16, on August 10.
#8 • $1.5 million
Lindsey Horan
On-Field Earnings: $0.9 million | Off-Field Earnings: $0.6 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Midfielder | Age: 29
Lindsey Horan recently signed a permanent contract with Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, making her the only member of the USWNT playing club soccer outside the NWSL.
John Todd/Usff/Getty Images
Of the 23 members of America’s World Cup team, Horan is the only one playing club soccer outside the NWSL. She spent 2022 on loan to France’s Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and signed a permanent contract with the team this summer. Away from the field, she endorses eight brands, including Cheribundi cherry juice and Microsoft’s Xbox.
#9 • $1.4 million
Rose Lavelle
On-Field Earnings: $0.8 million | Off-Field Earnings: $0.6 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Midfielder | Age: 28
Rose Lavelle is set to play in the Women’s World Cup despite a knee injury she sustained in the spring.
James Williamson/AMA/Getty Images
Injuries have limited Lavelle in recent years, including a knee injury this spring that at one point seemed to threaten her availability for the World Cup, but there is no arguing with her talent when she’s healthy. The OL Reign midfielder endorses Nike, Icy Hot and Chipotle.
#10 • $1.3 million
Sofia Huerta
On-Field Earnings: $0.8 million | Off-Field Earnings: $0.5 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Defender | Age: 30
Sofia Huerta previously represented Mexico in international competition, switching to the U.S. in 2017.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
A right back for OL Reign, Huerta makes the list even though brands typically prefer to partner with attacking players, who are seen as more likely to produce a highlight play. (Besides Huerta, only four other players in the earnings ranking are defensively minded: midfielder Julie Ertz, defenders Crystal Dunn and Kelley O’Hara, and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher—and Dunn is an attacking midfielder in club competition.) Huerta previously represented Mexico in international competition, switching to the U.S. in 2017, and has partnerships with Mexican-American brands De La Viuda Hot Sauce and Siete Foods, as well as five other sponsors.
#11 (tie) • $1.2 million
Ada Hegerberg
On-Field Earnings: $0.6 million | Off-Field Earnings: $0.6 million
Nationality: Norway | Position: Forward | Age: 28
Ada Hegerberg returned to international competition with Norway last year, after a five-year hiatus.
Ada Hegerberg/Vishionhaus/Getty Images
Hegerberg was the first-ever recipient of the Ballon d’Or Féminin, in 2018, but a torn ACL in January 2020 ended up sidelining the Olympique Lyonnais Féminin striker for 21 months. She also spent five years away from Norway’s national team in protest over the way the country’s players were compensated. Hegerberg returned to international competition last year, though, and is excelling on and off the field, with Nike, Hublot and Danone among her partners.
#11 (tie) • $1.2 million
Chloe Kelly
On-Field Earnings: $0.4 million | Off-Field Earnings: $0.8 million
Nationality: England | Position: Forward | Age: 25
Chloe Kelly has already given the English women their first major trophy, scoring the winning goal in last year’s UEFA Women’s Euro final.
Visionhaus/Getty Images
Kelly reached a new level of fame last year when she came off the bench as an injury replacement in the UEFA Women’s Euro final and scored the winning goal, giving the English women their first major trophy. The Manchester City forward is also featured in a new Calvin Klein campaign alongside Alex Morgan.
#11 (tie) • $1.2 million
Sam Kerr
On-Field Earnings: $0.6 million | Off-Field Earnings: $0.6 million
Nationality: Australia | Position: Forward | Age: 29
Sam Kerr is the face of tournament host Australia, but a calf injury sustained just before the tournament will keep her out of at least two games.
Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
A calf injury sustained just before the tournament will keep Kerr out of at least two games at Australia’s home World Cup, but she still helped inspire the Matildas to a win over Ireland in their opener on July 20. The Chelsea forward was one of four players depicted (alongside Megan Rapinoe) in a soccer-themed LEGO set and ad campaign that launched in May.
#11 (tie) • $1.2 million
Kelley O’Hara
On-Field Earnings: $0.7 million | Off-Field Earnings: $0.5 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Defender | Age: 34
Kelley O’Hara is playing at her fourth World Cup.
Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images
Like some of her USWNT teammates, O’Hara has dealt with injuries in recent years, and she will turn 35 on August 4. But when coach Vlatko Andonovski called her to say she had been selected for the World Cup roster, he told her, “There is no player in the world that can match Kelley O’Hara’s mentality, especially in big tournaments.” O’Hara, who left the Washington Spirit to sign with Gotham FC in January, will be playing at her fourth World Cup alongside Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.
#15 • $1.1 million
Alyssa Naeher
On-Field Earnings: $0.8 million | Off-Field Earnings: $0.3 million
Nationality: U.S. | Position: Goalkeeper | Age: 35
Alyssa Naeher will be the USWNT’s starting goalkeeper for a second straight Women’s World Cup.
Erin Chang/Isi Photos/Getty Images
Rarely in women’s soccer do goalkeepers get much attention from marketers, but Naeher figures to get plenty of TV time this summer in her second World Cup as the U.S. starter. The Chicago Red Stars keeper works with Nike, Coca-Cola, Synchrony Bank and Upper Deck.
Methodology
Forbes generated its earnings estimates through conversations with more than 20 industry insiders. On-field earnings figures include base salaries, bonuses and stipends collected over the last 12 months from players’ club and national teams, as well as pooled money from U.S. Soccer when relevant. The off-field earnings estimates reflect annual income from endorsements, licensing, appearances and memorabilia, as well as cash returns from any businesses in which the athlete has a significant interest. Forbes’ list excludes players who were not selected for their country’s World Cup roster because of injuries, even when their earnings are believed to be in the $1 million range or higher.
Forbes does not include investment income like interest payments or dividends but does account for payouts from equity stakes athletes have sold. And Forbes does not deduct for taxes or agents’ fees.
This article was first published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
