How can a professional athlete manage life on less than 100 pesos a day? This is the reality many players face and the reality that should be challenged and improved for the sake of the sport and its players.
Most days are spent in training camps, team travel, and weekly matches. Yet the rewards often lag far behind the effort. In Mexico, as in many women’s leagues around the globe, there are moments when earnings do not reflect the level of commitment, discipline, and routine that a professional athlete maintains—nor do they support living with dignity in the long term.
Historically, Alicia Cervantes, a former Atlas player who later joined Chivas as a striker, reported a monthly salary around 1,500 pesos. That amount was insufficient for basic transport needs and reflected the minimum payments set by the FMF, which manages funds generated by the women’s national team and distributes them among clubs. It remains the case that some players must supplement this income independently.
Regulatory documents from the federation noted the club’s authority to set training schedules, practices, and hours players must be available for matches. The workdays and fixed schedules could vary because the agreement’s nature allowed flexibility in those terms. This framework captured the ongoing tension between official structures and the realities of daily life for players in Mexico.
Daniela Pulido, a former Chivas player who stepped away from football due to the conditions at her club, recalled that her salary had not risen since the title won in the inaugural Women’s League tournament. She played during a period when earnings hovered around 4,000 pesos, a level that persisted until the turn of the decade and into the Guardians era.
Yet there are signs of gradual change. Some clubs now offer minimums around 3,500 pesos, while others within the federation’s ecosystem pay substantially more—roughly 120,000 pesos per month—reflecting the actions of major clubs such as Tigres, Rayadas de Monterrey, and Club America. These pockets of improvement indicate a shift toward better compensation, even as disparities remain clear.
Independent bodies have weighed in on the issue. The National Council for Social Development Policy Evaluation, known as Coneval, has suggested that a minimum welfare line should anchor around 2,850 pesos per month. This figure highlights the gap between current salaries and what many consider a humane baseline for nourishment, housing, and transport—even more so for players who may also serve as primary breadwinners for their families. The challenge is how to sustain a professional athlete’s diet and training while balancing costs that include transport and housing.
Over nearly six years since the league’s inception, there has been progress in improving conditions through club initiatives and support from sponsors. These sponsors have included food brands, feminine care products, national brands, and financial institutions, among others. The sport’s growth has also drawn attention to media rights and sponsorship deals that help fund player salaries and operations.
While some clubs leverage fan enthusiasm and television contracts to broaden revenue streams, the overall gap between earnings and living costs remains wide. Still, the Mexican Women’s League continues to push toward becoming one of the strongest women’s football competitions in the Americas, with some observers suggesting it could approach the level of the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League in influence and scale.
Source: Goal