Euros 2022: How much do England's women earn and how will it change after final victory?

England's heroic Lionesses are set for a bumper pay day after their Euro 2022 success - but not to the lucrative extent widely believed, says a football finance expert.

England beat Germany after extra time on Sunday to become European champions for the first time.

However, the significant pay gap remaining between men's and women's football means the victory is unlikely to see the England players become millionaires overnight.

The two sports are "completely different entities" according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, who says the women's earnings can be compared to those of the men's World Cup champions of 1966.

Speaking about the earnings of England stars like captain Leah Williamson and forwards Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly, Maguire said: "I think some players will be able to leverage off the success of the tournament.

"We have to be a little bit cautious, as if we go back to 1966, everyone remembers Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore, not so many people remember George Cohen and Ray Wilson.

"In terms of individual deals there will be some but perhaps not as lucrative as some commentators are saying."

Mr Maguire said the average salary in the Women's Super League (WSL) - the top women's division in England - is around £25,000 to £27,000 a year, with salaries in the second tier coming in as low as £4,000 a year.

This is dwarfed by the top earners in men's football, where the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin de Bruyne and Mohammed Salah can be paid upwards of £350,000 a week even before any sponsorship deals are factored in.

"There's a long way to go in order to establish it as a potential career below the WSL level, but it is a growing sport," said Mr Maguire.

"I think in terms of profile, [the Euros victory] is a fantastic fillip for a game that has been growing for quite a few years.

"It will give opportunities to expand interest in the game, increase attendances and there's already talk of a number of very high profile sponsorship arrangements between the WSL and commercial partners.

"However, women's football is seeking a different demographic in terms of the supporter fanbase so I don't think we'll anticipate equal pay, equal attendances and equal money coming in compared to the men's game."

What's the prize money for winning the Euros?

According to UEFA, England will receive a total of €2.085m (£1.74m) for winning every group stage game of the tournament in addition to the final.

However, the prize pot is relatively small compared to the £28.5m received by Italy's men's team for winning the men's Euros last year.

How much will the Lionesses be paid for winning the Euros?

Every England player will receive a bonus of £55,000 after winning the tournament, the Guardian reports, with larger sums available through sponsorship deals.

Not every player will receive such lucrative deals however, as football finance expert Mr Maguire likened the earnings to those of the 1966 men's World Cup champions.

Additionally, much of the funding will be going to strengthen the structures of the game beyond the top level.

How could the Lionesses cash in?

Sponsorship deals are not the only avenue for England's heroic Lionesses to maximise their earnings off the back of their Euros success.

They will not just make money over the next 12 months.

Players can look to former-Lioness Alex Scott for inspiration of how a broadcast career could see them cement themselves as household names.

Scott retired from football in 2018 after an illustrious career with Arsenal and in the United States, but has since become a sports pundit, commentator and presenter.

Scott's broadcast success has also seen her remit expand to beyond sport, as she has co-hosted the BBC's The One Show.

However, Mr Maguire said beyond the Lionesses, the women's game still needs to make a lot of progress before it can be seen as a lucrative career.

Women's football earnings will continue to be dwarfed by their male counterparts, he warned, given the smaller global audience for the women's game.

That is on an upward curve however, with millions of people across the country following the Lionesses' journey through Euro 2022, and a TV audience of 17.3m watching their final victory on Sunday.

Those involved in the game from the boardrooms to the grassroots will be hoping that spike in interest will now translate into higher regular attendances at WSL games in the coming season and throughout the women's game.

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