UEFA has revealed “Unstoppable”, a six-year plan towards a sustainable ecosystem for women’s football.
Launched to bolster the remarkable growth of women’s football in Europe, “Unstoppable” is a six-year strategy designed to establish football as the leading team sport for women and girls in all European nations. UEFA has also noted that the initiative seeks to expand the number of professional leagues throughout the continent.
Aleksander Čeferin, President of UEFA, commented: “Unstoppable is our road map to lay the groundwork for a sustainable future, unlocking the full potential of women’s football. As we enter this exciting new era, we must continue with the same passion that has driven us this far. Our dedication to the cause remains as strong as ever.
“Our mission is simple – to help women’s football gain a prominent place in the European sporting community.”
The roadmap aims to elevate women’s football with four long-term objectives. The strategy envisions making football the most popular team sport for women and girls across Europe by expanding pathways for players, coaches, and referees and growing grassroots opportunities.
Additionally, it also seeks to establish Europe as the base for the world’s top talent, aspiring to create six fully professional leagues and support 5,000 professional players continent-wide.
Furthermore, the plan positions women’s football as the most sustainable and attractive women’s sport for investors, setting the stage for ‘record-breaking’ UEFA competitions. Finally, it aims to celebrate the sport’s inclusive values, fostering a sense of community where everyone feels they belong in women’s football.
To achieve these ambitious goals, UEFA has announced a commitment of €1bn between 2024 and 2030. This funding, drawn from competition revenue and UEFA’s own investments, will support grassroots and development projects across national associations and drive transformative changes in women’s football competitions.
Nadine Kessler, Managing Director of women’s football at UEFA, stated: “European women’s football has never been in a better place. National teams and clubs are excelling thanks to enormous investments, improved competition structures and thousands of emerging professional playing opportunities.”
Kessler noted that football in Europe has evolved into a sport for the masses, drawing an expanding and diverse fan base, along with partners who are fully committed to supporting its growth.
She concluded: “It is our promise to keep investing and collectively lead the game forward, with all European national associations, leagues, clubs, players, fans and partners part of our journey – because women’s football is Unstoppable.”
In recent years, England has positioned itself at the forefront of women’s football, with the development of the sport hitting new highs recently.
According to Deloitte in June, WSL revenue reached £48m last year, a 50% increase from the £32m generated in the 2021/22 season, and significantly higher than the £20m during the 2020/21 campaign.
Progress gained momentum earlier this year when Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) assumed responsibility for the WSL and the Barclays Women’s Championship, taking over from the Football Association (FA).
