The Matildas are paid $23,000 less per goal than the Socceroos
The Australian women's football team, the Matildas, has enjoyed a fantastic year, but you wouldn't know it from their pay packet. Just how does their income compare to the men in the Socceroos?
Here is a scary statistic. As a player for Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, Australian Socceroos captain Tim Cahill banks approximately $27,397 a day ¬ and that's before any international bonuses or endorsement deals. Meanwhile, Matilda's co-captain Lisa De Vanna is on track to make a base income around $27,397… in total. For the year.
Yes, Cahill makes in a day what De Vanna makes in a year.
That's no slight on Cahill, one of the best players Australia has ever produced and a true international star, but it's a stark reflection of how we value sports players depending on their gender. De Vanna is a legend of the female game and world-renowned as well – she is the Cahill of the Matildas team. Also a forward, De Vanna has played for Australia 19 more times than Cahill with a whopping 104 caps, and has scored 37 goals, only four less than her male counterpart.
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In addition, she has led the Matildas to an excellent quarter finals finish at the Women's World Cup in 2015 – again better than the Socceroos achieved in their World Cup - and presided during a time when video game sensation FIFA 16 by EA Sports included a Matilda on the cover for the very first time.
Absorb those facts, have a good look at the table below and digest all it tells you. Note that in 2014 the Matildas had five times the number of victories of the Socceroos and scored twice as many goals. Also note that on average, the Matildas are twice as experienced as the Socceroos players, and thus have given twice as much of themselves to the Australian cause.
| Statistic | Socceroos | Matildas |
|---|---|---|
| Players used in 2015 | 42 | 35 |
| Average international caps per player | 18 | 35 |
| Base contract per year | $0 | $21,000 |
| Games in 2014 | 11 | 11 |
| Victories in 2014 | 1 | 5 |
| Cost per victory per player | $257,000 | $1,450 |
| Goals in 2014 | 11 | 22 |
| Cost per goal | $23,364 | $330 |
| Clean sheets in 2014 | 1 | 1 |
| Cost per clean sheet | $257,000 | $7,250 |
| Maximum total bonuses in 2014 | $257,000 | $7,250 |
| Scheduled games for 2015 | 14 | 15 |
| Games so far | 11 | 15 |
| Victories in 2015 | 8 | 9 |
| Cost per victory per player | $18,389 | $1,748 |
| Goals in 2015 so far | 26 | 37 |
| Cost per goal | $5,658 | $425 |
| Clean sheets in 2015 to date | 6 | 6 |
| Cost per clean sheet | $24,518 | $2,621 |
| Maximum total bonuses in 2015 (to date) | $147,109 | $15,728 |
| Maximum total bonuses 2015 (projected) | $166,609 | $15,728 |
| Best possible incomes since Jan 2014 (per person) | $404,109 | $59,728 |
| Cup Bonus Breakdown | ||
| Games at Asia Cup | 6 | 5 |
| Asia Cup income (prize money + bonuses) | $114,609 | $4,250 |
| Games at World Cup | 3 | 4 |
| World Cup income (prize money + bonuses) | $205,000 | $10,728 |
It doesn't seem fair, does it? Note that this isn't inevitable in sport. Compare the top-ranked tennis players in the world right now, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams. Both have enjoyed similar years (Djokovic has won 6 titles, Williams 5). So far, Novak has received $10,618,664 in prize money, while Williams has scored $9,792,645. There's a disparity there, but it's nowhere near as pronounced as with Australian soccer.
If you're curious, here's how the bonuses break down:
| Cup Bonus Breakdown | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Games at Asia Cup | 6 | 5 |
| Asia Cup income (prize money + bonuses) | $114,609 | $4,250 |
| Games at World Cup | 3 | 4 |
| World Cup income (prize money + bonuses) | $205,000 | $10,728 |
| Standard International Bonus Breakdown | $6,500 per standard international game | $500 per standard international game |
| $7,500 per group-stage tournament game | $500 per group-stage tournament game | |
| $8,500 per round 16 game | $600 per round of 16-tournament game | |
| $9,500 per tournament quarter-final | $750 per tournament quarter-final | |
| $11,500 per tournament semi-final or 3rd v 4th playoff | $1,250 per tournament semi-final or third or fourth-place playoff | |
| Estimated $13,500 for final | $1,500 per tournament final | |
| plus: | ||
| an equal share in 30 per cent of all prize money |
