The USWNT pay disputes paved the way for several monumental moves. The U.S. Soccer Federation agreed to a settlement of $24 million for the USWNT players, out of which the player can take $50,000. With all these changes, USWNT icon Sam Mewis inquired about the salaries of the WSL players in England. In her sit-down chat with Lynn Williams, she dug deep into the infamous women’s salaries debate. She wants to see if Alexis Ohanian’s Angel City FC can relate to Manchester City’s wages for their players.

The pay structure in both these leagues differs. And Sam Mewis wants this to change. She stated, “Maybe this notion that many clubs or other clubs are having to skirt the rules is a signal to the league that the rules should change a bit and allow the players to be paid more.”

Well, the NWSL rules are about to change with the NWSL agreeing to a new CBA. By 2030, the minimum salary is projected to reach $82,500, a substantial increase from its current level of $48,500 in 2025. Mewis mentioned how the WSL in England “has a soft salary cap.” Around 40% of the turnover from the club can be given to the players, which to some, is a sustainable model. She thought out a comparison between Manchester City and Alexis Ohanian’s Angel City FC.

“So like, Manchester City, which obviously is a hugely wealthy club, can spend 40% of their turnover on player wages, which is obviously a larger bucket than some of the smaller clubs in the Women’s Super League. So that idea I think is interesting to me because under a model like that, potentially, Angel City’s valuation or revenue would indicate how much they can spend on players,” mentioned Mewis.

Yet doesn’t it cause differences? Well, it certainly does, according to Sam Mewis!

Sam Mewis assesses whether the WSL wage structure causes discrepancies

“And then a club who’s maybe making less money or worthless would have a small bucket. I don’t know if it’s fair. It would definitely affect parity. But that’s just a different model,” said Mewis. If you think about it, yes, there are discrepancies. The clubs with better revenue would pay their players with handsome salaries. On the other hand, the rest of the clubs with a small bucket would undoubtedly pay lesser salaries.

But, it’s how the English soccer pyramid has been since its existence. Significantly, some true success stories have risen recently. Think of Wrexham. They have slowly but steadily risen to the top of the English soccer pyramid by gaining back-to-back promotions. An increase in merchandizing and extraordinary ticket sales helped the club generate revenue.

In the same way, Alexis Ohanian markets his investment well. Angel City FC has multiple owners, valued at around 250 million. The work behind the scenes is spellbinding. In that way, the WSL wage structure remains subjective to many. Yet, it worked in Europe for years and gained revenue for multiple clubs if they invested appropriately.

Do you feel any issues with the pay structure between WSL and NWSL? Let us know in the comments below.