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The Spanish women’s top-flight is meant to kick off on Friday, but with a league-wide player strike set to begin, Liga F won’t be seeing any action for at least two weeks.

Players have planned to walk out on the first two matches of the season in protest over the league’s minimum salary. When Liga F became a fully professional league in 2021, the minimum salary was set at €16,000. However, for this season the players are requesting a minimum wage of €25,000, with an increase to €30,000 in the season after that.

Liga F has attempted to compromise, offering a minimum salary of €18,000 for the current season, with an increase to €25,000 over the next three seasons. In addition to this, the league vowed to help with childcare costs and financial aid to study, but this was refused.

The Spanish Players’ Association said the strike was called because the league and the union could not reach a fair deal.

Liga F has hit back at the strike, claiming that they wouldn’t accept proposals that would lead to the ‘economic collapse’ of the competition, and ultimately the failure of women’s football in Spain.

This is not the first time the league’s start has been delayed, with referees striking at the beginning of last season for better pay and working conditions.

Women’s football in Spain has been clouded by unfortunate events in the last few weeks, with the country’s World Cup win being overshadowed by misogyny, arrogance, and harassment from the federation’s president.

The strike further highlights a systemic issue in Spanish football that consistently undermines and undervalues the women’s game. Liga F is home to some of the world’s best players, the current Champions League champions, and nearly all of the World Cup winners.

For a league bursting at the seams with talent, disputes over salaries should not be taking place, especially when the salaries in question are well below the national average.

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