Work

The hidden discrimination in sports immigration: The salary differentiation among goalkeepers in soccer leagues

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The immigration of professional athletes hides several realities of discrimination. Often, the high salaries associated with these athletes help hide many discriminatory practices that still occur even at the highest competitive level. We looked at the reality of professional goalkeepers in the main OECD football leagues (specifically, the six main leagues in Europe), over more than 10 seasons. Using Mincerian equations and Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition, we found that discrimination is mainly based on the nationality of the athletes, with discrimination based on skin color taking a secondary role. Complementary evidence based on the athlete's performance, experience or biological factors such as age was also discussed.

Source: International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching

DOI: 10.1177/17479541251370484

Authors: Paulo Reis Mourão, Magno Rogério Gomes

Institutions: University of Minho, Universidade Estadual do Paraná

Language: English

Topic: Sports Analytics and Performance

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650