Bonmatí is one of the role models in the women’s game.
Racheal Kundananji was finding the net with unerring accuracy.
Her reward? The then 23-year-old striker, averaging roughly three goals every four games at Madrid CFF in Spain’s Liga F, had earned a move to Bay FC in the U.S. National Women’s Soccer League—to the melody of €735,000 (now around $774,000) before possible extras, making her the most expensive signing ever in the women’s game.
A steep price in female transfer terms and many sporting contexts, it’s peanuts at the upper echelon of men’s professional soccer. Here, players jumping from team to team in deals under a million euros or dollars—as the Zambian star Kundananji did in February—is more common a level below the elite leagues, as the celebs occasionally change jerseys for nine-figure fees, then picking up a mega salary.
It’s no secret that agencies and agents earn a commission when their clients sign a new contract. So, they look for the money. In the U.S., the women’s soccer market has been huge for a while, and larger agencies like Wasserman see sense in representing some of the best men and women. In Europe, it’s different; the biggest bucks are in the men’s game, so they usually work with them, while some specializing in the women’s side stick to that niche.
That could be about to shift, however.
“It offers resources that I haven’t seen in any other women’s football (soccer) companies,” says Xènia Pérez, a center-back for Atlético Madrid and Spain’s national team. The defender is talking about Leaderbrock, an agency that has just launched Leaderbrock W—a branch providing the same services to women as its men, with the latter comprising talents such as Ferran Torres (Barcelona), Pedri (Barcelona), Alfonso Pedraza (Villarreal) and Joan Jordán (Alavés).
“You can feel the ambition to keep growing,” Pérez continues. “Little by little, companies are becoming more committed to the women’s discipline. But there is still a long way to go—to avoid (us) having a secondary role in most of them.”
While there is room to develop, the fact agencies can now strategically market women’s players rather than solely aid their movements across the transfer market is worth raising. “When we started, agents weren’t even part of a representation agency. They were just people helping you,” Andrea Falcón of Benfica, whose career highlights include a coveted Champions League title with Barcelona Femení, tells me.
Behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, Pérez and Atlético are currently third in Liga F, mirroring the … [+]
“The main thing is drafting qualified professionals who can guide athletes, as we are often less familiar with this world than men,” the striker adds, noting that agents and players often have different motivations. “We need professionals to establish a relationship of trust because, in the end, we’re entrusting our future to them. It’s important to know they will always look out for our best interests.”
In Pérez and Falcon’s case, as well as pros Paula Tomás (Aston Villa), Alejandra Bernabé (Chelsea), Natalia Escot (Barcelona), and María Valenzuela (Levante Badalona), they are part of an organization treating men and women’s soccer as equals. With offices in Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands—and input from the Liga F’s only women’s coach, Sara Monforte—the idea is a complete service, with advisory, legal help, tax support, and building players’ brands all key facets in the sport.
At this point, the question on some agencies’ minds might be: How viable is incorporating women into their business?
It seems interest in women’s soccer is constantly rising. One barometer is World Cup viewership, where the number of people tuning into the 2023 edition was estimated at over two billion, almost double that of 2019—1.12 billion. Matching the popularity is television rights’ values; these are more valuable than ever, though the hype around the game’s potential could leave some overestimations of their actual worth—when pitted with how much they bring in return.
The quality and personalities are certainly there. At the top, players like Aitana Bonmatí—winning two Ballon d’Ors back to back—are leading the way. All this provides a strong enough base to give women further visibility by promoting them and striking sponsorship deals, which agencies are pouncing on more—a boost to their own PR, too.
“In recent years, we’ve managed to have more role models. Everyone knows Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí, or Patri Guijarro. Before, that possibility didn’t exist—you couldn’t watch women’s football on TV or have female references. We’ve grown a lot in that regard, but there is still room to improve,” adds Falcón.
“It’s not just about knowing players who win Ballon d’Ors or Barça players who win the Champions League—it’s about making women players and football more visible overall. Everyone knows the players from any team in La Liga, the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, or leagues in France or Italy, but that’s not the case for us (in Portugal).”
Of course, the counter is a healthy separation between the men’s and women’s craft—not comparing them to each other and allowing them to exist and evolve independently. Given the differences, not least the often wide financial disparity, that is always a natural—and even healthy—tendency.
Only, given the talent and exposure across the sport, businesses are now spotting ways to incorporate both, leveling the playing field a little in the process.
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