Women’s Football
Background information
May 2015
1.
Overview
Worldwide, 30 million girls and women play football. This figure and other statistics are included in the FIFA
Women’s Football Survey – a research report produced by the CIES Football Observatory using data collected
by FIFA in 2014. With the support of its members, FIFA aspires to see the number of female players increase
to 45 million by 2019, when France will host the 8th edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. FIFA is actively
promoting and investing in the growth of women’s football worldwide through major competitions and
events, development programmes and awareness campaigns. FIFA also aims to increase the number of
female coaches, administrators, referees and volunteers involved in the game. The 209 member associations
play a key role in helping to reach these goals and ultimately realise the global potential for women’s football.
Key figures:
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There are 30 million female players worldwide
24 teams will participate in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™, double the number that
participated at the first FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 1991.
The number of participants in FIFA Women’s World Cup™ qualifiers has almost tripled from 45
teams in 1991 to 128 in 2015, while the number of qualification matches has risen from 110 to
398.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011™ in Germany was covered on television in 181 territories, with
the 32 games drawing 407.8 million viewers around the world.
There were more than 640 women’s football development projects funded by FIFA in 2011-2014.
For 2015-2018, FIFA has doubled its funding for women’s football-specific programmes. In 2015
alone, FIFA is implementing more than 400 activities worldwide in at least 120 countries. Among
those, 94 women’s football competitions are set to benefit from equipment and financial support.
FIFA’s Live Your Goals campaign will take place in 50 member associations (MAs) in 2015. 45,000
girls and young women were involved in Live Your Goals festivals in 2013-2014.
This brochure from 2013 includes other facts: “Women’s Football: Progression, Rise & Challenges.”
2.
Development
FIFA invests USD 616,016 across all of its football development programmes – every day. The total direct
assistance has passed the USD 2 bn mark. The Development Globe available on FIFA.com provides a full
overview of the activities worldwide: http://en.devglobe.fifa.com/. All development funds are handled in line
with the General Regulations for FIFA Development Programmes and a breakdown of FIFA’s investments is
available in the Financial Report. When it comes to women’s football development, FIFA provides
multifaceted support to its member associations with the aim of ensuring that every girl and woman who
wants to play football has the opportunity to do so.
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FIFA women’s football development programmes
FIFA has been implementing tailor-made programmes for women’s football since 2004. For 2015-2018, FIFA
has doubled its funding for development projects targeted for women’s football to USD 22 m. Together with
the 15% of the Financial Assistance Programme funding that FIFA requires its member associations (MAs) to
allocate to women’s football, it amounts to almost USD 70 m for investment. The FIFA Women’s Football
Development Programmes and Guidelines 2015-2018 offer MAs nine different types of programmes. Aside
from these, MAs can also seek support for their women’s football initiatives through other programmes such
as the Goal Programme, the PERFORMANCE Programme, and FIFA Grassroots for boys and girls.
Live Your Goals campaign
The Live Your Goals campaign was launched at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ and has
evolved into one of FIFA’s most recognised women’s football initiatives. It is a global campaign that aims to
strengthen the image of women’s football and increase the number of girls and women participating in the
game. Member associations implementing Live Your Goals receive support over a period of four years with:
concept development; football equipment; funding; and expertise. Through Live Your Goals, FIFA promotes
female role models and star players who share their stories of overcoming obstacles to achieve their goals.
Further details are available at www.fifa.com/liveyourgoals.
3.
Competitions
Things have come a long way since 12 June 1988, when Norway beat Sweden 1-0 in the final of FIFA’s first
women’s international tournament in China – a 12-team invitational that served as a prototype for the first
FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in China three years later. Fast forward to 2011 and the FIFA Women’s World
Cup™ in Germany was covered on television in 181 territories, with the 32 games drawing 407.8 million
viewers globally and a new record set during the final for most tweets per second. FIFA recognises that the
establishment of sustainable leagues and competitions at regional, national and international level is crucial
to ensure that female players, coaches, officials and administrators have a clear pathway through the game.
FIFA’s women’s competitions include:
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FIFA Women’s World Cup™ played every four years (1991 with 12 teams, 1999-2011 with 16
teams, 2015 with 24 teams).
FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup played every two years (since 2002) with 16 teams (from 2002
until 2004, it was an U-19 event with 12 teams).
FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup played every two years (since 2008) with 16 teams.
Women’s Olympic Football Tournament played every four years (since 1996) with 12 teams (1996
and 2000 with eight teams, 2004 with ten teams, as of 2008 with 12 teams).
Girls’ (U-15) Youth Olympic Football Tournament played every four years (since 2010) with six
teams – one per confederation.
Additional activities related to competitions include:
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FIFA women’s international match calendar – finalised in consultation with relevant stakeholders
FIFA Club Protection Programme (CPP) – FIFA offers insurance to compensate clubs if their players
are injured during any international “A” match
FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking - published four times a year
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4.
Other events
FIFA Women’s Football Symposium
Since 1995, every four years at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, FIFA has organised a symposium on women’s
football to give support and direction to its members to further develop the game. The 5th symposium was
held in Germany in 2011, while the 6th symposium is scheduled for 3-5 July 2015 in Vancouver, Canada.
FIFA Women’s Football and Leadership Conference
The first FIFA Women’s Football and Leadership Conference was held in March 2015 as a platform for open,
honest debate about the future of women’s football and the role of women in sport governance. FIFA
President Blatter signed the Brighton Plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration with the International Working Group
on Women and Sport – a declaration that sets out principles to support the empowerment of women in
society and promote gender equality. The conference is set to be held annually to mark the United Nations’
International Women’s Day on 8 March.
5.
Governance
FIFA has created three positions for women on its Executive Committee. The positions are currently held by
Lydia Nsekera (Burundi) and the two co-opted members Sonya Bien-Aime (Turks and Caicos Islands) and
Moya Dodd (Australia). This was part of the governance reform process initiated by FIFA President Blatter in
2011. The Task Force for Women’s Football, which met for the first time in January 2014, identified that
football, and especially women’s football, benefits from the involvement and representation of women on
governing bodies and in management. This is one of the ten key principles for women’s football development
that the Task Force put together. These principles were unanimously approved by the 64th FIFA Congress.
The Task Force has recently proposed the creation of a FIFA Women’s Club World Cup and will continue to
look at additional topics such as professionalisation, club licensing and medical matters.
6.
Looking ahead
FIFA’s tournaments are flourishing as the game develops but there is more that can be done by the entire
football community. FIFA continues to work with its members to create the right structures and investment
so that the sport and those who play it can grow to its full potential. Objectives for 2015-2018 include:
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To ensure that football continues to be the world’s number one team sport for women
To promote opportunities for more female participation both on and off the pitch and to have
more women in leadership positions in football
To ensure that women’s football is fully integrated into the member associations’ strategies,
development plans and structures
To have more quality top-level female coaches and give the existing female coaches and former
female players more opportunities to be actively involved
To help build sustainable national and regional women’s football competitions
To encourage the promotion of women’s football at all levels
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All information pertaining to the above is available on FIFA.com
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