Before England won the Euros in 2022, even leading female players were paid as little as £20,000 a year. Now they earn handsome sums – and more from commercial giants desperate to be associated with their game.
Captain Leah Williamson, 28, has modelled for Calvin Klein, is a brand ambassador for Gucci, enjoys a lucrative deal with Nike and has collaborated with global brands including Aston Martin, Pepsi, Walkers and Mastercard. She even has a range of children’s books called The Wonder Team.
Ella Toone, 25, has set up her own brand, ET7, which includes a football academy for young girls, and she has set up a creative agency to help female athletes maximise commercial opportunities. Her sponsors include make-up brand Charlotte Tilbury, orthodontic firm Invisalign and McDonald’s. She and best friend Alessia Russo have a podcast.
Russo is now on £500,000 a year just for playing football – but off-the-field deals are understood to bring in much more. Forbes put her earnings in just 2023 at £2 million. She has deals with Gucci, Adidas, PlayStation, Beats by Doctor Dre, and last month was gifted an MG5 EV car.
Forward Lauren Hemp, 24, has boosted her £400,000 salary with a sponsorship deal with Lego. Playing with the plastic bricks helps her relax. She has even made a Mona Lisa out of Lego. Her other sponsors include Nike and Sports Direct.
