A Study on Pay Management for Professional Football Players: Influencing Factors, Variations, and Regulatory Frameworks

The pay levels of professional football players are closely linked to individual factors such as players' athletic abilities,nationality, age, and position. They are also influenced by external factors such as the operational conditions of leagues, the size of national markets, and the level of development in the entertainment industry. Pay control and management are vital components for the healthy operation and sustainable development of professional clubs and leagues. This study, based on the analysis of pay data from 6 377 male professional footballers across 11 countries, quantitatively highlights the characteristic skewed structure of the global supply system for professional footballers' pay. Furthermore, it examines the regulatory systems established by different countries for team-wide pay and individual players' pay. The study identifies issues in the current development of professional football in our country, including inadequate core operational capabilities, imbalances in the supply and demand of high-level players, and an incomplete pay system, resulting in problems such as pay disparities among players. In future pay management, it is recommended to start with the establishment of a “revenue-expenditure balance” concept, continuously optimize the alignment of high-level players' supply and demand in professional leagues by connecting with the international player market, scientifically reconstruct the pay management system, and thereby promote the sustainable development of professional football leagues in our country.