March 18 – FIFA has published the fourth edition of its Setting the Pace benchmarking report, offering its widest-ranging snapshot yet of the global women’s football landscape.
The report, which has grown significantly in scale, now covers 86 leagues and 669 clubs — a jump from just 34 leagues in the previous edition — as FIFA looks to position itself at the heart of the sport’s rapid evolution.
While the governing body pitches the document as a development tool, the findings paint a picture of a game still grappling with financial fragility, structural gaps, and uneven progress.
The report details that the majority of clubs remain heavily reliant on outside support, with 85% of top-tier clubs operating at a loss or breaking even. In the lower tiers, that figure rises to 93%, underlining the ongoing challenge of financial sustainability in women’s football.
Player wages reflect this disparity. While Tier 1 clubs offer an average gross annual salary of $24,030, the global average remains just $10,900 — a stark reminder of how far many leagues are from achieving full professional status.
The report also highlights a shortage of female head coaches, with just 22% of clubs globally employing women in the top job. FIFA suggests this points to a need for more qualified female coaches, though the structural reasons behind that shortfall remain largely unaddressed.
Sponsorship and broadcast deals continue to play a defining role in league development. While 68% of Tier 1 leagues have secured title sponsors, the figure falls below 45% in Tiers 2 and 3.
Domestic broadcast arrangements are widespread in the top tier — 91% of leagues have one — but international deals are harder to come by. Only 45% of Tier 1 leagues have managed to secure overseas distribution, dropping to single digits in the lower levels.
There are bright spots. Fan interest is on the rise, with attendances reaching as high as 60,160 in some leagues, and strong numbers documented in countries such as Brazil and Germany.
But the data also shows that contractual stability remains elusive — nearly half of Tier 1 player contracts last just 1-2 years, and 64% of players in Tier 3 are on deals of less than 12 months.
FIFA’s report concludes with 15 recommendations for leagues and clubs, covering topics from safeguarding and season length to social media engagement and maternity regulations. Whether those recommendations carry weight beyond the page remains to be seen.
“This month FIFA announced the timelines and formats for two new, landmark, global FIFA women’s club competitions,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “As we embark on the development of these tournaments, it is equally important that we offer insights and resources to women’s football stakeholders so that together we can build on the solid foundations already in place. FIFA will utilise the findings to build tailor-made programmes that will support Member Associations to continue to professionalise women’s football – this is critical as we embark on a new era for women’s club football on the global stage.”
FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis added: “One of the key findings in the report is that, across 86 leagues and 669 clubs, only 22 per cent of head coaches are women. While we cannot improve this figure overnight, by unearthing and analysing the data we can understand where we need to continue to invest, implement and perhaps even evolve our women’s coach development programmes to unlock more opportunities for women and empower everyone working in women’s football – on and off the pitch.”
With this latest report, FIFA has bulked up its role as a data provider in the women’s game. But the real question is whether the figures — however comprehensive — will translate into the kind of structural support the sport needs to move beyond its reliance on goodwill, patchy investment, and short-term fixes.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1742362014labto1742362014ofdlr1742362014owedi1742362014sni@g1742362014niwe.1742362014yrrah1742362014