Women’s Soccer Is Growing. Why Is the Infrastructure Supporting Its Players Falling Behind?

WOMEN IN SOCCER  /  PLAYER WELL-BEING

Supporting the Women Behind Soccer’s Rise

As investment in women’s soccer accelerates, research reveals a troubling disconnect between commercial growth and the support available to players. The Wellness Universe is helping address a critical gap: supporting the whole human behind the athlete.

Women’s soccer is experiencing extraordinary commercial growth. But are the women driving that success receiving the support they need to build sustainable careers and fulfilling lives?

Deloitte’s 2026 Football Money League reported approximately US$170.6 million in combined revenue across 15 leading women’s soccer clubs, a 35% increase from the previous year. FIFA recorded US$28.6 million in international transfer spending in women’s professional soccer in 2025, more than 80% above 2024. Deloitte also projects global women’s elite sports revenues will reach at least US$3 billion in 2026, with soccer accounting for approximately 35%.

Yet the conditions experienced by many players tell a different story.

FIFPRO’s October 2026 Global Employment Report, drawing on approximately 800 female players worldwide, found that 49% were considering leaving the game earlier than planned. Among those players, 59% cited financial reasons and 46% cited psychological stress. Only 56% of respondents had an employment contract, while 47% reported insufficient club staffing.

These findings raise an uncomfortable question:

Are we investing in the growth of women’s soccer without investing adequately in the women who make that growth possible?

In 2025, The Wellness Universe independently surveyed 50 professional and aspiring female soccer players to understand their personal and professional needs.

Their responses revealed:

Although our survey was smaller and not globally representative, its findings highlight concerns that overlap with FIFPRO’s subsequent international research. The percentages reflect themes identified across different survey questions.

What we learned reinforced a belief that has guided The Wellness Universe for more than a decade:

An athlete’s well-being cannot be separated from the well-being of the human being.

The Wellness Universe is a global community and platform bringing together wellness practitioners, educators, coaches, and professional experts dedicated to whole-person well-being.

Our philosophy recognizes that emotional, physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being are interconnected. We believe people thrive when they have access to education, practical life skills, trusted relationships, and resources that support them through life’s challenges and transitions.

When we brought this philosophy into professional women’s soccer, we recognized a critical blind spot.

Players may have coaches developing their athletic abilities, trainers supporting their physical performance, and agents navigating professional opportunities. But who helps them develop the life skills to manage stress, establish boundaries, advocate for themselves, navigate difficult relationships, and prepare for life beyond soccer?

These are not simply mental health concerns. They are essential aspects of human development.

“When I look at these young women, I don’t just see soccer players. I see human beings with dreams, responsibilities, and futures beyond the game,” says Anna Pereira, Founder and CEO of The Wellness Universe. “Our responsibility is to equip them with the self-awareness, resilience, life skills, and resources they need to navigate their careers, but more importantly, to navigate life. Their value should never be defined by their performance on the field.”

Anna Pereira · Founder & CEO, The Wellness Universe

Over the past year, The Wellness Universe has put this philosophy into practice through its partnership with The Players Network and the TPN Wellness Academy.

The academy provides female soccer players with educational resources and live programming supported by The Wellness Universe’s network of more than 20 practitioners and professional experts.

Its offerings address resilience, stress management, self-awareness, healthy boundaries, personal development, career readiness, legal education, self-advocacy, and life beyond soccer.

Specific initiatives include:

The Wellness Universe has also brought educational and wellness experiences into in-person environments, including the TPN Combine in Virginia, demonstrating how personal development can become part of the player experience.

Our commitment extends beyond supporting women during their playing careers.

Through HerSoccerex, an initiative under the Soccerex umbrella, The Wellness Universe’s Anna Pereira and career-development strategist Alexandra Bowden are helping build a year-round community connecting female players, executives, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and allies.

The goal is to expand access to mentorship, education, professional relationships, collaboration, and opportunities throughout the soccer ecosystem.

“Women’s soccer is entering an important period of growth, and that growth must create meaningful opportunities for the women who make the sport possible. Through HerSoccerex, we want to strengthen the connections, resources, and professional pathways that help women build lasting careers and continue contributing to the game in different capacities.”

Garrett Navia, CEO of Soccerex

When a woman leaves professional play, soccer should not automatically lose her knowledge, leadership, or potential contribution. She may become a coach, executive, entrepreneur, mentor, or advocate shaping the sport’s future.

Investing in her future is an investment in the industry itself.

Fair compensation, safe working conditions, employment protections, and access to qualified clinical mental health care remain essential. Whole-person development does not replace these responsibilities; it complements them.

Through education, professional expertise, and strategic partnerships, The Wellness Universe is helping expand the resources available to female athletes while continuing to learn from their experiences.

Measuring participation, player feedback, skills development, and longer-term outcomes will be important as these efforts grow.

Clubs, leagues, federations, sponsors, and investors have an opportunity to help make whole-person development a meaningful part of the infrastructure supporting women’s soccer.

The commercial growth of the game is undeniable. The next measure of progress must be how well the industry supports the women behind it.

Founded by Anna Pereira, The Wellness Universe is a global wellness community and platform connecting practitioners, educators, and professional experts dedicated to whole-person well-being.

Through education, personal development, live programs, and strategic partnerships, The Wellness Universe helps people access the resources and life skills needed to navigate challenges, embrace opportunities, and build fulfilling lives.

Website: www.thewellnessuniverse.com ↗