Financial, mental health issues pushing women footballers towards early retirement

Almost half of women’s footballers are considering leaving the game early, with financial pressures and mental health struggles the main reasons, according to a Fifpro report highlighting the gulf between the sport’s rapid growth and conditions for most players.

The 2026 Fifpro Global Employment Report “Working Conditions in Women’s Football”, billed by the global players’ union as the most extensive review of working conditions in the women’s game in a decade, interviewed 800 players worldwide and found stark disparities.

Some 49 per cent of players ‌surveyed said they were considering leaving football earlier than planned. Of those, 59 per cent cited their financial situation as a reason and 46 per cent pointed to psychological stress.

“The women’s football industry has come a long way,” Fifpro director of women’s football Alex Culvin said. “[But] for 95 per cent [of players], the rest of the industry, there is a hell of a long way to go.”