The European Union of Football Associations (UEFA) has unveiled a groundbreaking investment of EUR 1 billion over the next six years to propel women’s football forward. Sportsfields.info has been reliably informed that a major part of the money will be used to upgrade football infrastructure for women’s games, and, in particular, fields at grassroots level.

Its strategy, titled ‘Unstoppable,’ intends to make football the most popular team sport for women in Europe. The initiative aims to double the number of professional leagues and increase the player count significantly.

UEFA announced this ambitious plan, which includes supporting national association grassroots and development projects and transforming the competitions. This includes expanding fully professional national leagues from three to six and boosting the number of professional female players from 3,000 to 5,000. UEFA’s director of women’s soccer, Nadine Kessler, highlighted the importance of collaboration among associations, leagues, clubs, fans, and partners to achieve these goals.

Fully committed

Despite ongoing challenges in expanding the sport’s visibility and accessibility, UEFA is committed to creating opportunities for women at all levels, from grassroots to professional play. The organisation will also provide financial backing to its 55 member associations through the Hat Trick program, which is partially funded by the men’s European Championship.

“Our mission is simple – to help women’s football gain a prominent place in the European sporting community,” said UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin at the official announcement of the strategy.

Unstoppable is the result of extensive collaboration with football stakeholders across Europe, and outlines UEFA’s plan to nurture the next generation of players, coaches, referees, volunteers and fans.

Over the next six years, Unstoppable will help us make women’s football:

• the most-played team sport for women and girls in every European country, through developing football pathways for players, coaches and referees, alongside grassroots opportunities
• ­­the home of the world’s top players, with six fully professional leagues and 5,000 fully professional players across the continent
• the most sustainable and investable women’s sport, with record-breaking UEFA competitions
• celebrated for its unique values and community, where everyone believes that they can have a place in women’s football.

“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.

“Women’s football in Europe has become a sport for the masses, attracting an ever-growing and diverse fan base, and partners that wholeheartedly contribute to its growth. 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,” Kessler added.