Off The Pitch: Business

It's actually happening. Alexia Putellas is transferring to London City Lionesses. What seemed to be impossible last season is now reality. When La Reina Announced her departure from Barcelona after 14 years, all eyes were on Michele Kang. 

At the end of last year, Forbes published a list of the world’s most valuable women’s sports teams in 2025. Of the 25 teams featured, 13 were football clubs and eight were clubs playing in the NWSL, making it the most-represented football league on the list. What have these NWSL clubs done to earn such high valuations?

When the United States women’s national team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, businesswoman Michele Kang was so uninformed of the world of football that she didn’t even know who Lionel Messi was. That idea seems inconceivable today as the women’s football tycoon owns and is closely involved in three clubs across the globe. How did she get here and what impact has her investment had on the sport?

Salaries in women’s football remain one of the sport’s most frequently discussed topics. Across many clubs and leagues, players are still not fully professional, despite competing at the highest levels and, in some cases, representing their national teams. Yet, as in many other industries, the landscape is changing rapidly and for the better.

Women’s football is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity on the business market. The shift is visible not only in the transfer market, but also in club ownership. After Serena Williams, Natalie Portman, and Ed Sheeran, another major name is entering the scene. The GOAT himself.

Women’s football is growing and gaining popularity fast. It’s also finding fans among celebrities. Whether through direct investment in clubs or public support for the women’s game, these high-profile figures are leading by example. Queenballers takes a look at some of them.