LAUSANNE.- The UEFA This Wednesday, it promised an investment of one billion euros for the development of women’s football until 2030, aimed at the grassroots, high-level professionalization and attendance at stadiums.
Called ‘Unstoppable’, this program is the second dedicated to female soccer players after a first strategy announced in 2019 and which led to growth in income, number of practitioners and audiences on the European continent.
To maintain this inertia, the European body identifies training needs – “for quality players, coaches and referees in sufficient numbers” – and the professionalization of the leagues and the commercial development of the competitions.
Likewise, UEFA aspires to the implementation of a “fan culture” with the aim of achieving “higher peaks in attendance and audience throughout the season.”
The European body committed to investing “one billion euros from competition revenues” and its own funds in supporting national federations’ projects for grassroots football and in the transformation of competitions.
The most prestigious of them at the club level, the women’s Champions League, will inaugurate a new format in the 2025-2026 season in imitation of the men’s Champions League in force this season, with a league of 18 teams that replaces the group stage.
Plans and aspirations
UEFA will similarly launch “a second women’s interclub competition” next season, just after the Euro Cup women’s event organized in Switzerland from July 2 to 27, 2025.
From now until 2030, UEFA aims for “six fully professional championships and 5,0000 professional players on the continent”, compared to three championships and 3,049 professionals currently.
The entity wants to make football the most popular team sport among women and girls in all European countries.
