Sport as migrant work: transnational athletic migration and belonging in English professional women’s football

The transnational mobility of women footballers has been subject to scant academic attention. However, the pace and scale of the professionalization of the women’s game and the concomitant internationalization of playing rosters over the last decade warrants further research. This study explores the experiences of migrant footballers in the women’s professional game in England. Through semi-structured interviews (n.6), this article investigates players’ motivations for migration, their emotional and social experiences of adjustment and settlement, and their negotiation of ‘home’ and belonging. The findings reveal that the status of England as a ‘zone of prestige’ in women’s football is key in attracting players seeking professional mobility. The article also illustrates how female footballers’ transnational social practices shape their experiences of ‘home’ and belonging, aiding their construction of ambivalent but manageable experiences of athletic migration. In generating these insights, the article expands academic discussions of sport-as-work, women’s sports migration, transnationalism, and belonging.