The disparity in pay on the basis of gender is a social evil that’s unfortunately been prevalent in our society for a long time. Be it the corporate world or the soccer field, this disparity still exists. However, things have been improving for women gradually; as a recent report by Forbes about the highest-paid female athletes in the FIFA Women’s World Cup showed encouraging trends. Unsurprisingly, USWNT athletes top the chart.

Forbes reveals the highest-paid female soccer players in 2023

Earlier today, Forbes released a list of the highest-paid athletes in the World Cup. In the top 10, nine athletes represented the USA with only one athlete, Alexia Putellas, from Spain. USWNT stalwarts Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe as expected are leading the charge.

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Alex Morgan tops the list with $7.1 million while Megan Rapinoe is a close second with $7 million. The disparity between second and third, however, is quite stark, with Putellas ranked third, raking in $4 million.

USWNT stars Trinity Rodman ($2.3m), Crystal Dunn ($2m), Julie Ertz ($2m), Sophia Smith ($2m), Lindsey Horan ($1.5m), Rose Lavelle ($1.4m), and Sofia Huerta ($1.3m) cap off the list.

Dan Levy, agent of top USWNT stars, reveals the reason behind the positive economic trend in women’s soccer

Back in the early 2000s, female athletes in the US received any spotlight from brands or sponsorships if the World Cup or Olympics was imminent. The endorsement offers were dire for everyone not named Mia Hamm. However, things have now changed for good.

Dan Levy, an agent at Wassermann media agency, confirms this economic trend brilliantly. Levy manages both Alex Morgan and Rapinoe, who both make $6.3 million from off-field earnings alone.

“Obviously things have changed dramatically in terms of the platform that this current team has, the league that they play in,” confirmed the agent to Forbes. “There’s just a lot more opportunity for women now as they play the sport that they love.”

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It’s truly heartening to see that brands and sponsors have been taking proactive steps to bridge the pay disparity. Kudos to them. Hoping for more positive updates!