Chinese female soccer players may be achieving success on the soccer field, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2015 Women's World Cup, but that achievement is not matched by the money they are paid.

According to Chinese media reports, female players competing in the top-tier Chinese league earn an average monthly wage of 3,000 yuan ($483), while their male counterparts earn at least 150,000 yuan.

Ma Xiaoxu, 27, former striker for the national team, shrugs off the huge disparity in earnings, citing female soccer's lack of appeal to media and sponsors.