Women's football players are considering leaving the game early because of financial pressures and mental health concerns, according to a new report by players' union FIFPRO.
The 2026 FIFPRO Global Employment Report: Working Conditions in Women's Football, based on surveys and interviews with around 800 players, found that 49% were considering an early retirement. Of those, 59% cited financial reasons and 46% pointed to psychological stress.
Although average monthly club salaries have tripled since 2017 to $2,601, due to revenue growth in leagues like the NWSL, the median salary is significantly lower at $1,669.
FIFPRO said growth in the women's game remains uneven, leaving many players without secure employment or adequate support.
While salaries have risen significantly in leagues such as those in the United States and Mexico, average pay remains below the national minimum wage in 10 Eastern European countries.
Even in regions with bigger football markets such as Western Europe and Asia/Oceania, average pay is not significantly higher than national minimum wage levels.
Just 56% of players surveyed had an employment contract, while only 13% received a pension from their clubs. The report also found that 57% had struggled with their mental health, with half of those players receiving no support from their clubs.
FIFPRO director of women's football Dr Alex Culvin said professionalisation was accelerating in some markets, but the benefits were not reaching players equally.
"Away from the best resourced clubs, there is a recurring theme of precarity and fragile conditions," Culvin said.
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The report calls for enforceable minimum employment standards covering pay, facilities, staffing and health, as well as mandatory psychological support for players.
Only eight of the 30 national women's leagues analysed had collective agreements with players' unions on employment conditions.