Richmond AFC Women made it to WSL with Ted Lasso magic. Can they afford to stay there?

Apple TV’s Ted Lasso may have sold the idea that belief alone can lift a team into the Women’s Super League, but real-world budgets decide who stays there. Richmond AFC Women have been promoted in the show and, if they were real, would face WSL giants including Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. The article argues that inspiration won’t close the spending gap: at the bottom of the WSL, some clubs spend around second-division levels and face constant relegation risk, while top clubs spend far more. Chelsea’s women’s side, for example, reported a nearly $20 million (£15m) wage bill in 2024-25 and paid $1.1m for Naomi Girma in Jan. 2025. Arsenal later matched the arms race by signing Olivia Smith for $1.3m.