England Lionesses pair told they could earn as much as Emma Raducanu as stars bank £87k

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

After England Lionesses won the European Championship for the second time in a row, two players in the squad are expected to have many brands lining up to endorse them, similarly to Emma Raducanu
England Lionesses' stars Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly have been told they could rake in as much cash from endorsements as British tennis ace Emma Raducanu. Hampton and Kelly were the two standout heroes in the European Championship final triumph against Spain for Sarina Wiegman's side, particularly in the penalty shootout.
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Hampton, 24, saved spot-kicks from Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati, while Kelly, 27, set up Alessia Russo's equaliser in the 90 minutes, before smashing home the decisive penalty to secure another trophy for the Lionesses. Kelly, who plays for Arsenal, already has a reported net worth of around £2.3million, courtesy of lucrative endorsement deals with big names like Calvin Klein, Nike and many more.
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The latter deal was inked after she celebrated her winning goal against Germany in 2022 by revealing a Nike sports bra. Meanwhile, Hampton, who stepped in to became England's No. 1 after Mary Earps retired from representing the Lionesses, is also expected to ride a similar wave of endorsement opportunities.
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All members of the victorious Lionesses squad will pocket £87,000 each as their share of the UEFA prize money. However, it's suggested that Hampton and Kelly could see their wealth skyrocket through endorsements, mirroring the financial success of Raducanu after her US Open triumph as a teenager in 2021.
The tennis sensation banked £10.5m in 2024 - predominantly through brand partnerships and sponsorship agreements - and is understood to have a net worth of around £10m. Speaking to The i Paper, media analyst Alex DeGroote reckons Kelly and Hampton could have similar financial success.
Salaries in the FA Women's Super League (FAWSL) remain considerably lower than Premier League wages, with Chelsea striker Sam Kerr topping the table in the women's game with her £417,000 annual earnings. In the division, players earning less than £100,000 a year is not unusual.
Though DeGroote doesn't expect FAWSL wages to climb dramatically anytime soon, he anticipates a surge in commercial opportunities. After describing Raducanu's £10.5m endorsement haul as a "benchmark" for Hampton and Kelly alike, the media expert said: "Kelly will not find it easy to improve her sports salary.
"But endorsements are a different story. I would imagine her agents will want to nail down her brand attributes and then find it easy to sell her to brand advertisers in areas like fashion, cosmetics and financial services."
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Beyond their tournament performances, both players' personal journeys are expected to strike a chord with fans. Hampton, who represents Chelsea women, underwent operations to fix severe childhood eye conditions and was repeatedly warned she'd never reach football's elite level.
She's also reportedly lined up for an interview with fashion publication Elle, where she will likely open up about her journey. Professor Ellis Cashmore, author of Celebrity Culture, also reckons the relatability and down-to-earth nature of Kelly, Hampton and the rest of their colleagues, will make them a massive hit with fans.
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Cashmore said: "Fans want relatable celebrity athletes. Chloe, Hannah and co. could easily be standing next to you at the Lidl checkout and you feel you could just strike up a conversation and they'd be totally natural.
"This makes them perfect for advertisers and large-scale corporations. This tournament has been an inflection moment for women's football.
"The amount sponsors have invested in the sport and the individual players confirms that the sport has sped off on a new trajectory. McDonalds, Amazon, Samsung, all geared to the Gen Z market, were big advertisers during ITV games."