Dr Alex Culvin on 2026 FIFPRO Global Employment Report

In this Q&A, Dr Alex Culvin, FIFPRO Director of Women’s Football, answers some of the key questions about the 2026 FIFPRO Global Employment Report: Working Conditions in Women's Football.

What is your summary of the report?

This report is a valuable insight into the lived realities of professional women footballers around the world. Moving beyond the highlight reels many of us are exposed to through social media and other platforms, the report highlights the deeply engrained precarity that is felt and experienced by players globally. 

While professional women’s football has made significant strides since FIFPRO’s last global employment report in 2017, there is still a lot of work to be done. Progress has been made and should be celebrated, however, as the report underlines, this progress is not universal, and many players are experiencing great uncertainty in their careers. By focusing on player voices and using evidence-based insights, the report highlights how the economic boom at the top of the game has not been enough to provide a safety net across the industry. 

What is your view on the rise in average salary?

It is positive that average salaries are increasing for some players and that more are earning a satisfactory wage, but it’s important to note that there is a huge disparity in pay across regions. Furthermore, the median is a better indicator of pay than the average, and salary is far from the only indicator of the industry’s health.

There is also an imbalance in conditions, not only across the globe but also within regions; in Europe, for example, the difference in standards between the east and west is enormous. This is a gulf we need to work hard to narrow; the growth in the most advanced markets must not be completely isolated from the rest of the industry.

How can this gap in pay and conditions be reduced?

At the most basic level, regulatory and policy intervention is required to ensure that players in some countries are not left behind - a rising tide lifts all boats. These interventions should focus on salary, facilities, staffing, performance and health of players.

Resource allocation and access are key to a thriving employment market. This is not just about players earning enough to make a living from football but also making sure they have a safe and stable environment. When players have working conditions that protect their health at work that has a positive effect on performance which the whole industry benefits from. The more we help players to fulfill their potential, the more the women’s game will benefit.

Can you talk about the mental health data?

This is one of the most concerning parts of the report: of the 49 percent of women’s football players considering leaving the sport early, 46 percent cited their mental health as the reason. In interviews, players say the sport's growth brings new pressures – including extra workload and social media abuse - but that clubs do not have the necessary safeguards in place to support these changes. We want clubs and national associations to provide mandatory mental health support focused on wellbeing, which is independent of sporting performance objectives.

Can you explain players’ positive views on maternity?

The international maternity regulations introduced by FIFA in 2021 are an excellent example of how regulatory intervention raises the floor for women’s football: these rules are having a positive effect across the game. Fewer players are citing starting a family as a reason they are considering leaving the game early. Of the 49 percent of players who are considering leaving today, 19 percent cited starting a family, meaning it is no longer among the most common reasons. It’s not only the FIFA rules changing perspectives, but also the example set by more players who are visible as parents and high-performance athletes.

Players now realise they can combine football with parenthood. However, there are still elements that we believe are essential for players to be protected when they are considering starting a family, such as an automatic contract extension when they become pregnant; this is currently not covered in the FIFA rules. As the average contract length is only 19 months, and often much less, players must benefit from more security through regulatory reform.