Do football clubs lose money?

Yes. Most football clubs around the world operate at a loss. Clubs spend 70-90% of their operating costs on player salaries. UEFA now caps wage spending at 70% of revenue. Even Barcelona accumulated €1.2 billion in debt. 85% of English Football League clubs are loss-making. Clubs are often passion projects, tax write-offs, or brand-building vehicles for their owners.

Should I get a job while playing football abroad?

Yes. Especially early in your career when contracts are small. A remote job or side work keeps you earning, keeps your mind active, and builds something for your future. The SoccerViza founder played for free and worked other jobs until he built a name. The players who last long-term treat their career like a business.

How Much Do Soccer Players Make Overseas? The Honest Truth

Q: How much do soccer players make overseas?

It depends on the country, the league level, the club's ownership group, and your resume. Starting out without a name, expect housing, food, and a small stipend. In Australia's NPL, players earn $1,000-$2,000 AUD per week. In Central America, salaries can range from $6,000 to $15,000 USD per month. In Eastern Europe, you start lower and build. There's no fixed timeline — it depends on performance, opportunity, and the club's financial situation.

The Delusion

A lot of players are delusional. They don't understand the industry. They don't understand football economics. And if you're worried about salary and don't have a name and don't understand how the business works, you're in trouble.

You need to understand how football works. What countries have money. Where you stand with your resume and playing history. How clubs think about investments. This matters. A lot.

The Economics of Football: Why Clubs Lose Money

Here's the first thing you have to understand: clubs around the world lose money.

Most of them. It's either a passion project for investors, a tax write-off, or they're trying to build other channels of awareness for their businesses. If you own a club and you have a company outside of football, that club reaches a different demographic and a different community driven towards your product or service. That's why sponsors pay so much to be on the front of shirts. That's why a club exists.

The reality is brutal: clubs spend 70 to 90 percent of their operating costs on player and coaching salaries.

UEFA regulations now cap club spending on player salaries, coaching, and agent fees at 70 percent of club revenue. This is relatively new — phased in starting 2025/26. Why? Because clubs were destroying themselves financially.

Real Example: Barcelona's wage bill reached 80 percent of revenue in 2020/21. They accumulated €1.2 billion in debt with €820 million short-term. They lost €409 million that year. They had to defer €389 million in player wages. One of the biggest clubs in the world couldn't pay their players.

Derby County entered administration in 2022. Why? Unsustainable spending on wages. Macclesfield Town faced a winding-up order in 2019/20. They didn't pay players for most of the season. These aren't small clubs — these are professional football clubs.

85 percent of English Football League clubs are loss-making. This happens at every level. Top leagues and lower leagues. Lower leagues just don't have the budgets to hide it.

Clubs are built on fragile economics. If the owner runs out of money, you don't get paid. If sponsorship dries up, you don't get paid. If the league has a bad season and viewership drops, you don't get paid.

What Your First Contract Actually Looks Like

If you don't have a big name. If you didn't play at a high level before. You're going to be making housing and food, maybe $3,000 a month. And that's a lot for someone starting out.

Usually guys with a bit of experience get that. You're going to have to either get a side job or understand you're getting housing, food, and a little bit of money. That's the deal.

It's going to take two or three years of consistent performance to make a name for yourself. A lot of guys quit because they can't take the grind of not making any money for two or three years off of football. They come from a country where they can't afford to live on housing and food with no cash. They go home.

There's no real timeline on when you're going to make money. You have to catch a break. You have to pull some weight. The club has to have money. Sometimes all three line up. Most of the time they don't.

Here's what's important: some clubs in a division can pay $6,000 a month, but other clubs in the same division only pay housing and food. It depends on the ownership group. It depends on the ambition of the club. It's different case by case. You have to do your homework on which clubs have money and which don't.

The SoccerViza Founder's Story

Joe Funicello, the SoccerViza founder, was different. He played for free and got other jobs until he built a name. That job helped him survive. It kept his mind busy. It kept him moving forward.

A lot of guys get housing and food and a little bit of money and sit at home all day. They wait for training. They wait for a paycheck. Joe couldn't do that. He knew that wasn't going to work.

Watch his story. Understand what the grind actually looks like.

Understand the Business of Football

At the SoccerViza Development Center, we don't just train you on the pitch. We teach you the economics of football — what clubs pay, how contracts work, and what to expect. So you walk into your first contract with your eyes open.

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Get a Side Job — It's Not Just About Money

Players should be looking at side jobs or remote jobs. Not only to make money. But also to move their lives and careers forward.

Sitting at home all day waiting for training is not going to help you grow. A remote job. Coaching. Online work. Something that keeps your mind active and builds something for your future.

The players who make it long-term are the ones who understand football is a business. They treat their career like one.

Salary Ranges by Region

Australia NPL: $1,000 to $2,000 AUD per week. Real money. You can live on that.

Central America: We had a SoccerViza player making $6,000 a month who went up to $15,000 a month. It depends on performance and the right team.

Eastern Europe: Starting out you get housing, food, and a small stipend. It grows with performance. You build a resume. You move up.

Scandinavia: Competitive salaries but visa requirements are strict. You have to qualify.

Brazil: Brazilian football is paying salaries comparable to Europe now. Brazilians aren't leaving anymore. That shows how much football is growing globally.

The point: one club in a division pays $6,000. Another pays housing and food. It depends on the ownership group and the ambition of the club. Do your homework.

How SoccerViza Helps

At the Development Center we teach the business side of football. We help you understand the economics. What clubs pay. How contracts work. What to expect. We help you figure out the best path for you.

We have personal contacts at clubs in 30+ countries. We understand visa requirements. We understand league structures. We know which clubs have money and which don't.

The Bottom Line

Most players chase a dream without understanding the industry. They get a contract paying housing and food and no cash. They sit at home waiting. They quit after a year or two.

The players who build real careers understand the business. They know what clubs pay. They know what to expect. They get a side job. They build their resume. They move up.

Understand the economics. Get a job. Build your name. Move forward.