111 Some football players have enormous release clauses in their contracts. A release clause is a set price that another club must pay to buy the player without negotiation. Neymar s release clause at Barcelona was 222 million. It was the highest ever and made his transfer to Paris SaintGermain the most expensive in history. Women s football is growing but still gets less exposure than men. Even the FIFA Women s World Cup, which broke viewership records in 2023, doesn t receive the same consistent global broadcast time as the men s tournament. SALARIES IN SPORT How do athletes get paid? Athletes earn money in several ways. The most common source is their salary from the teams or clubs they play for. This amount depends on the sport, the athlete s skill level, and the popularity of the league. For example, top football players in leagues like the English Premier League or NBA basketball players can earn millions of dollars a year. In addition to salaries and endorsements, athletes can make money from bonuses based on their performance, such as winning championships. For example, footballer Erling Haaland has a contract that includes significant goalscoring bonuses; his multiple tiers of performance-based incentives have made him earn substantial additional income on top of his base salary. Contracts A contract is a legal agreement between an athlete and a team or organisation. It outlines the terms of employment, including salary, duration (how long the athlete will play for the team), and other benefits. Contracts also include clauses about injuries, behaviour, and sponsorship obligations . These agreements protect both the athlete and the team by clearly defining expectations and responsibilities. See unit 7.2 for more information. clause: clausola to outline: delineare release: rescissione to sue: fare causa tier: livello, fascia The gender pay gap in sports One of the biggest issues in sports today is the salary gap between male and female athletes. In many sports, male athletes earn much more than their female counterparts. This is often due to differences in media coverage , sponsorship deals, and fan interest. For example, male football players in top leagues earn salaries far higher than women playing in 206 LAW, ECONOMY, AND FSL professional leagues, even though the female athletes perform at a high level. The 2019 Women s World Cup helped highlight this problem when the US Women s National Team sued the US Soccer Federation for equal pay, arguing that they deserved the same salaries and bonuses as the men s team. However, there still is a long way to go In 2023, the average salary in the NBA was approximately $9 million, with top players like Steph Curry and LeBron James earning between $45 and $50 million per year. In contrast, the Women NBA s average salary was around $147,000, with the highest-paid players, such as Arike Ogunbowale and Diana Taurasi, earning about $234,000.