England's Lionesses put smiles on the faces of the nation with their incredible win last night. After reaching their third consecutive major final in a row, they successfully defended the trophy in a match against Spain.
The world held its breath throughout the tense penalty shoot out. Chloe Kelly was the standout player of the moment, after scoring the winning goal in a gripping penalty shoot-out. But true to style, all the players put in incredible performances on the pitch.
So much can be said about how the Lionesses have cemented their place as history-makers and inspired a whole generation of girls to participate in sport. But after much discussion about their pay following the 2022 final, will they get paid more for their win this year?
What is the prize money for the Women's Euro 2025?
In 2024, UEFA said they had approved a €41million prize money pot for the Women's Euros 2025. This means nations taking part in the tournament will receive a participation payment of €1.8million, marking a 156% increase on the figure from the 2022 Euros tournament.
How much do England footballers get paid?
The Football Association pays players on both England senior teams equally for representing their country. Both male and female England players are paid £2,000 per game, with the majority of players donating this to charity - although it's not a requirement.
'The FA pays its women’s players exactly the same as their male counterparts for representing England, both in terms of match fees and match bonuses,' the FA says. 'This parity has been in place since January 2020.’
However, there are significant discrepancies when it comes to bonus prize money and sponsorship deals. For instance, following the women's Euros win in 2022, each player reportedly took home a £55,000 bonus. This was significantly lower than the men's team, who received a bonus of £300,000 each for reaching the final of the 2020 Euros, which they didn't win.
At the time, Women In Sport spoke out about the gender pay gap in the bonuses each team were awarded. 'Why shouldn't we ask for equal prize money and pay? We are already seeing this across tennis and cricket,' they said. 'This expresses and demonstrates the value that these teams bring to sport. Increased investment is vital across every level of women's sport. For girls to realise their aspirations they need a place to do this on their doorsteps. This should be the legacy of the Euros.'
How much do WSL players get paid?
According to analysis by the BBC, Women’s Super League (WSL) players take home an average salary of £47,000 per year. Some of the top earning players take home more, such as Chelsea’s Sam Kerr who reportedly earns over £400,000 per year.
However, there's still huge differences between the amount the WSL players and Premier League players take home - despite them both being the highest leagues you can play in when it comes to the beautiful game. According to a 2019 report in The Guardian, an average Premier League player took home around £61,000 per week. This amounted to more than £3 million a year.
Will The Lionesses get paid more for their Euros 2025 win?
Yes. Before the 2025 Euros, the FA agreed to pay the Lionesses from a £1.7 million bonus pot if they retained their winning title. And as last night proved, they did just that. This means player's will receive an average bonus of £73,000 each, depending on the minutes they all played. This is £18,000 more than they received three years ago.
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, ding, health, politics and interiors.