UEFA’s investment seeks to strengthen both professional and youth football, including national competitions (EFE/Orlando Barría)
In an effort to transform the landscape of women’s soccer in Europethe UEFA announced a historic investment of 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) intended to support and expand the development of this sport until 2030.
This figure will come from income generated in competitions and from UEFA’s own resourceswhich aims to use it to strengthen both the professional and youth spheres, as well as to finance national competitions and development activities in clubs.
The project is part of a long range strategy which marks a deep commitment by European football’s governing body to make women’s football grow at all levels.
“Unstoppable” aims to establish six professional women’s leagues in Europe and create 5,000 player positions (Europa Press)
The strategy, called “Unstoppable”, is ambitious in its objectives: it seeks not only to consolidate women’s football as a discipline, but also to establish it as the team sport most played by women and girls in Europeaccording to the news agency Europa Press.
With the support of European federations and clubs, UEFA aims to achieve the 5,000 positions for professional players and develop six fully professional leagues on the continent.
Furthermore, this initiative projects Europe as the cradle of the future stars of world women’s football, and is committed to a solid sports infrastructure that allows players, coaches and referees develop their careers in a highly professional environment.
“As we enter this exciting new era, we must continue with the same passion that has brought us here. Our dedication to the cause remains as strong as ever. Our mission is simple: to help women’s football take a prominent place in the European sporting community,” said UEFA President, Alexander Ceferinaccording to the news agency EFE.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand reveals the commercial potential of women’s football by generating 570 million dollars (Colombian Football Federation)
The growth of women’s football in recent years is notable, both in terms of revenue and popularity among European and global audiences. An example of this is the Women’s World Cup 2023 conducted in Australia and New Zealand, which generated more than 570 million dollars and attracted a diverse and growing audience. This event confirmed the sustained interest in women’s football and showed the commercial potential of this booming discipline.
Another example of the economic success and attendance of women’s football is the England Women’s Super Leaguewhich in the 2022-23 season reached record attendance figures, according to the news agency Reuters.
During the following season, more than a million people They came to watch games in both of England’s top divisions, reflecting ever-increasing support from the home fans.
The “Unstoppable” strategy also seeks to create an inclusive community and promote gender equality in women’s football (Colombian Football Federation)
The strategy of Unstoppable also seeks to make women’s football a sustainable sport with long-term investment opportunities, in addition to establish an inclusive community around their unique values.
One of the main objectives is for UEFA women’s competitions to break audience and participation records, in order to promote a culture where anyone can find their place in women’s football. This vision not only aims to build a broader and more diverse fan base, but also foster an environment that reinforces gender equality and accessibility in sport.
Aitana Bonmatí, Ada Hegerberg and Lauren James support UEFA’s “Unstoppable” initiative to promote the development of women’s football (REUTERS/Susana Vera)
This mission of inclusion and growth has the support of outstanding players and leaders of women’s football in Europe, reported EFE. Figures like the Spanish Aitana Bonmatíwho recently won the Ballon d’Or in 2023 and 2024, the Norwegian Ada Hegerberghistoric scorer in the Champions League, and the English Lauren Jamesstar of Chelsea and the England national team, showed their support for the initiative.
Along with other recognized players, they symbolize the success achieved and the promising future that UEFA seeks to consolidate with this investment. The “Unstoppable” initiative aims to unite players, federations, clubs and fans in a common project that allows women’s football in Europe to achieve new goals and consolidate itself as a global sporting benchmark.
