On Thursday, June 24, world governing body of football, FIFA published a first ever detailed report on the development and professionalisation of elite women’s football around the world. The report is focused on on-field issues, governance, finance, player-related topics, fan engagement and the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. With this, FIFA seeks to make guided key decisions to help shape the future development of women’s football worldwide.
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Gianni Infantino, FIFA President made clear in his remarks on the report that boosting the development and growth of women’s football remains a key commitment and top priority for FIFA. He also described the findings of the report as key in supporting stakeholders in women’s football to better understand the landscape and maximise potentials.
“Boosting the development and growth of women’s football – on and off the pitch – is a key commitment and top priority for FIFA. As the interest continues to increase, we must focus on developing an in-depth understanding of the elite women’s football landscape. This document has been developed with the aim of supporting our women’s football stakeholders to better understand this landscape and to maximise its big potential.”
“By working together, and embracing the challenges and exciting opportunities that lie ahead, I strongly believe we can bring women’s football to more people around the world and make it truly global.” – Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
The findings of the report which provide key insights into the world of women’s football comes from a completed survey on 30 of the top tier women’s football leagues from around the world and 282 of their respective clubs.
Sarai Bareman, Chief Women’s Football Officer at FIFA, also added that a lot could be done as part of FIFA’s aim to help develop women’s football.
Whilst the progress already made and FIFA’s commitment to the women’s game is clear, more can still be done across football to maximize the exciting opportunities on the horizon and ensure a strong and sustainable ecosystem for the whole of women’s football.
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Key findings from FIFA survey
- In 73% of the leagues surveyed, league champions in 2018/19 had the highest player wages.
- The average national team ranking for leagues in which 80% or more participating clubs had a girls’ youth structure was 13th as compared to a ranking of 28 for all the other leagues.
- 50% of teams with access to a set standard of higher number and quality facilities were league champions in the last five years.
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In 65% of leagues surveyed, teams having the highest qualified coaches outperformed other teams, highlighting the importance of coach education and development in the women’s game.
Check the full document here.
