Do you know why men are paid more than women in football? Why male footballers get paid more than females is quite obvi.
I know my female readers may disagree because of sentiments. But let's face the facts.
It's not just in soccer but in almost every other sports; male athletes get paid more than females.
Let's now see why do male soccer players get paid more than females?
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Why Men Are Paid More Than Women In Football
ENDORSEMENT DEALS
This is one of the biggest reasons Male footballers get higher pay than women.
Clubs tend to attract more sponsorship deals from their male outfits than their female counterparts, and this trend has been consistent with almost every club in every country.
Companies believe their brands are better represented by male football outfits, which is generally true and is represented in revenue generated by sponsoring companies.
The deals, which are beneficial to the clubs in offsetting expenses, automatically make the management rates men players as more profiting.
This leads to the male outfits getting more pay than their female counterparts.
A 2012 Research showed that female sports account for only 0.4% of sponsorships, and this includes football.
So there goes the Math.
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ECONOMIC RETURNS
The Covid-19 pretty much showed how much clubs depend on ticket sales to cope with their expenses.
Another thing that also came to light was how the male outfit was the backbone of every football club.
For example, the Manchester United official team stadium has a 76,000 seat capacity, and on a Derby match or similar top game, tickets are usually sold out.
This cannot be said of the female club outfit, which generally impacts how much clubs can pay their players.
MERCHANDISE SALES
While many female footballers have sought equal pay to their male counterparts, Clubs find it challenging to follow this rule as it could put them at risk of losing top athletes who are extremely marketable.
Male players are not paid higher because they are males but rather because of their marketability.
Even among themselves, no two players really get the same paycheque as some are more loved by fans, making it easy for clubs to sell their merchandise and draw in revenue.
In football, the top players in the world get the highest jersey and boot sales, and this is reflected in their pay as they subsequently earn the most.
Club will easily sell male merchandise to female counterparts, and hence the generated revenue will be shared in that regard.
BIOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE
Male Football players are generally more athletic than females, which tends to be a big factor among fans.
Even female football fans admit that male footballers are more enjoyable to watch, and their games flow better.
This bias is due to male players’ endurance level, speed, competitiveness, and physicality.
All of these make male football games more attractive, and this special advantage is rewarded in their earnings.
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Those are the basic reasons why men are paid more than women in football. So now, it's your turn. Should female footballers get paid the same? Have your say in the comment box.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago