Wednesday, June 3, 2026

The 15 Highest-Paid Players at the Women’s World Cup

  • Nine of the top-10 highest-paid World Cup players are on the USWNT.
  • The rankings from Forbes combine both on-field and off-field earnings.
Alex Morgan ranks first at $7.1 million, followed by Megan Rapinoe.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

U.S. Women’s National Team players make up 11 of the 15 highest-paid players on Women’s World Cup rosters, according to new rankings from Forbes.

For USWNT players Forbes calculated their total earnings based on their U.S. Soccer and NWSL club contracts, off-field earnings from endorsements, appearances, licensing, memorabilia, and other business activities.

This summer’s Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia is the first held since U.S. Soccer reached a new collective bargaining agreement in 2022 to split prize pool bonuses among the men’s and women’s national teams, as we all equalized payments for appearance fees, performance bonuses, and commercial revenue.  

While the $110 million prize pool for this year’s Women’s World Cup is quadruple the 2019 tournament’s $30 million total, it is still only a quarter of FIFA’s prize pool for the men’s World Cup. FIFA threatened to blackout European broadcasts of this year’s Women’s World Cup because networks made lowball offers before settling for deals that fell $100 million short of its targeted rights fee goal.

FIFA aims pay equity among World Cup prize pools by 2027. Visa recently extended its sponsorship with U.S. Soccer through 2028, promising that at least 50% of Visa’s investments will go towards Women’s National Team and women’s soccer initiatives.

Below is the list of Forbes’s top-15 Women’s World Cup earners, with several players tied for spots.

RankPlayerCompensationNation
No. 1Alex Morgan$7.1MU.S.
No. 2Megan Rapinoe$7MU.S.
No. 3Alexia Putellas$4MSpain
No. 4Trinity Rodman$2.3MU.S.
No. 5Crystal Dunn$2MU.S.
No. 6Julie Ertz$2MU.S.
No. 7Sophia Smith$2MU.S.
No. 8Lindsey Horan$1.5MU.S
No. 9Rose Lavelle$1.4MU.S.
No. 10Sofia Huerta$1.3M  U.S.
No. 11Ada Hegerberg$1.2MNorway
No. 12Chloe Kelly$1.2MEngland 
No. 13Sam Kerr$1.2MAustralia
No. 14Kelley O’Hara$1.2M U.S.
No. 15Alyssa Naeher$1.1M U.S.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Painter Suing FIFA for $25 Million for Covering Dallas Mural

The artist claims FIFA didn’t get consent to cover his 1999 mural.

The Elite High Schools Hosting World Cup Teams

Spain, Morocco, Croatia, and Switzerland chose schools as their tournament base camps.

Landon Donovan Thinks World Cup Will Boost MLS

Donovan argues hosting World Cup games will lead owners to spend more.

Norway Backs FIFA Complaint Over Trump’s Peace Prize

FIFA gave Trump the inaugural Peace Prize in December.

Featured Today

Frances Cabral-Delaney

How Arsenal Fandom Went ‘Manic’

“People do not become Arsenal fans because it’s easy,” says Zohran Mamdani.
May 23, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Fans participate in a tarp off during a MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium
May 28, 2026

‘Tarps Off’: How Shirtless Fans Took Over MLB

The viral movement began with the SFA club baseball team.
Apr 6, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) walks to the on deck circle during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field
May 28, 2026

Why Ballparks Are Louder Than Ever

Some stadiums sound like veritable nightclubs. How did we get here?
May 24, 2026; Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats attack Kathryn Ratanaproeksa (13) shoots against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half at Martin Stadium
May 26, 2026

Can Women’s Lacrosse Buck the Trend in College Sports?

The sport is fighting to prove its worth in the revenue-sharing era.
Jun 2, 2026; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) looks over during practice on media day for the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center.

Will There Be a Wemby Effect for NBA Finals in France?

France will have two Finals broadcasters for the first time.
Jun 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) prepares for the fdfirst period against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center
June 3, 2026

Hockey Canada Trial Looms Over Hart in Stanley Cup Playoffs

Carolina fans broke out into a “no means no” chant.
Jun 3, 2026; Paris, France; Maja Chwalinska of Poland tosses the ball to serve during her match against Anna Kalinskaya on day 10 at Stade Roland Garros.
June 3, 2026

French Open’s Cinderella Runs May Not Play in Wimbledon

Wimbledon finalizes its entries in mid-May, before the French Open ends.
Sponsored

Landon Donovan: What Soccer in America Still Needs

Landon Donovan discusses the evolution of soccer in America and investing in the NWSL.
FILE PHOTO: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) smiles on the court after defeating the Los Angeles Clippers during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome.
June 2, 2026

Curry’s Li-Ning Deal Is a Shot at His Own Jordan Brand

The NBA star signed a reported 10-year, $300 million deal with Li-Ning.
Serena Williams with her daughter Olympia, left, cheers for the Los Angeles Golf Club who won the TGL finals against Jupiter Links GC at SoFi Center on March 24, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
June 1, 2026

Serena Williams Confirms Tennis Comeback With Doubles Wild Card

The 23-time Grand Slam winner will play at the Queen’s Club Championship.
May 30, 2026

Shedeur Sanders Banked $17.7M in NFLPA Licensing Income

Sanders shattered the record set by Tom Brady in the 2021 season.
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 28, 2026 Paraguay's Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in action during his second round match against France's Moise Kouame REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
May 29, 2026

French Open Fines Player for ‘Sexist’ Comments Toward Female Umpire

Vallejo said his female official couldn’t handle a “demanding crowd.”