Caution: The following includes spoilers for seasons 3 and 4 of Ted Lasso.
Recently, Nielsen reported that “women’s soccer is set to become one of the world’s top five sports by 2030.” Attendance records have skyrocketed worldwide.
In April 2023, 83,132 fans watched England beat Brazil. On March 14, 2026, 30,307 people attended Boston Legacy’s inaugural match at Gillette Stadium, breaking the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) all-time home opener record. By comparison, NWSL’s 2013 league average was 4,271.
Despite the increasing support, female athletes continue to face discrimination. And Ted Lasso season 4 perfectly interweaves both the disparity and euphoria of women’s soccer.
After 61 Emmy nominations and 3 seasons, Ted Lasso ended on May 31, 2023. However, in 2025, Apple TV announced the series would return for a fourth installment with a different storyline. The first 34 episodes focused on a fictional Premier League team, AFC Richmond, as the club hires American football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis).
In the season 3 finale, Lasso returns home to Kansas City, leaving former Richmond star Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) as head coach. 3 years later, in the Season 4 premiere, club owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), PR manager Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), and director of football operations Leslie Higgins (Jeremy Swift) fly to the Midwest to convince Lasso to coach the club’s new women’s team.
Welton and Jones are determined to establish a competitive women’s team in the Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2), despite the financial risk. Eventually, Lasso dances over to Richmond and coaches alongside Beard (Brendan Hunt) and Alice Cliton (Tanya Reynolds).
Throughout the season, the team encounters obstacles including inadequate fan attendance, minimal sponsorships, and misogynistic treatment. For example, striker Gemma Jay (Abbie Hern) injures her knee, and the club doctor does not examine Jay until the end of the week, while male players receive immediate attention. injures her knee, and the club doctor does not examine Jay until the end of the week, while male players receive immediate attention.
Additionally, captain Lizzie Davis (Faye Marsay) struggles to balance motherhood with professional soccer.
This season’s plotlines are no coincidence. The writing team drew on real-life experiences from women’s sports and invited professional players, including Arsenal’s Leah Williamson to consult. Gotham FC’s Mary Speck spoke on the show’s references, stating: “I hope that people don’t just laugh this off because it’s not so far from real life.”
In 2026, the NWSL rosters 28 active mothers. According to Girls Soccer Network, players currently earn a minimum of $48,500 annually, and the average daycare cost (yearly) for children under five is $13,184 (NPR). If a mother earns the lowest salary, she will spend 27.2% of her annual income on daycare.
Unlike their male counterparts, women often take over a year off for pregnancy and postpartum recovery before needing to regain fitness quickly. Further, females must travel with their children to away matches while managing feedings and other childcare responsibilities.
FIFA conducted a study that found, “the average global gross player salary is just $10,900,” almost $3,000 less than a daycare fee. In secondary leagues, only 22 % of players are eligible for maternity leave, and 38% for health insurance. The median yearly earnings for a men’s Premier League player are $4.6 million.
Yet, the AFC Richmond women experience the glory of sports, whether that’s by defeating men at bar trivia, dancing after a promotion to WSL1, or the squad squeezing into a hospital waiting room to support Gemma Jay after her knee scan.
Regardless of gender, the camaraderie and chemistry within a sports team are crucial, which is why women should follow Coach Cliton’s advice: “Don’t disappear when you feel inadequate.”