Here is a name to feed into the pop culture search engine between your ears: Cristiano Ronaldo. He looks like a supermodel, plays soccer like a demi-god and as a result of these two factors features in ad campaigns for everything from Armani underwear to Jacob & Co timepieces. Just for playing for Real Madrid, he earns upwards of half a million dollars. A week. After tax.
As preposterous as this figure is, it may well rise on the fact that he recently took out the Ballon D’Or prize, which effectively proclaims him the world’s best player.
Reset your search engine and try this name for size: Nadine Angerer.
Need a minute? Thought so.
Angerer is a German goalkeeper currently plying her trade in our (Australia’s) W-League. She also happens to be the current female Ballon D’Or winner.
Now, to watch Ronaldo in action, you’ll need at least $350 for a ticket. To see Angerer do her thing, it’ll cost you a fiver. And you’ll more than likely get a photo with her, plus an autograph afterwards.
As a rabid sportsfan who’ll watch pretty much anything involving athletes fitter than I’ll ever be, this disparity is utterly ludicrous. The best player on the planet is right here in Australia, it costs a pittance to get in and she’s stopping shots in front of the crowd that’s smaller than that which gathers in the loading dock of a hotel where One Direction may or may not be having dinner.
Angerer, her colleagues and her competitors play for exactly the same length of time as men and as for those who say the skill levels are lacking when compared to the boys I respond, when was the last time you watched a women’s match?
Top Comments
If we want equality we should look at tennis, women play less tennis and get paid more, this divide in pay is terrible and should be fixed
Go Nadine. She sounds amazing.
But lets also remember that Nadine is playing in Australia. Noone here gets paid big money. Those who want big money go to play in Europe, where the sport is infinitely more popular. I don't know if noone watches women's football there either but Australian clubs don't have the funds to consider that OR the following the earn that.
I don't pay $350 to watch Nadine play, not because I don't think she's worth it, but because I don't care for football. I wouldn't pay that to see Ronaldo either. Supply and demand and all that. But just because something seems unfair doesn't mean I have to put my dollars towards it. we should be looking to the media to raise the profile of women's sport and make it accessible to people so interest can be fostered through all sports.