FIFA Women’s World Cup

Gianni Infantino, opening the post-FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Coaches Forum (www.FIFA.com), said that the “great football” played at last year’s tournament in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand had opened the eyes of the world to women’s football, and stressed the importance of building on that success.

The two-day forum, held at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, was organised so that the current head coaches of the 32 national teams who participated last year could exchange views on technical, competition and refereeing matters. Their views, in discussions with FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger and supported by two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winning coach Jill Ellis, will help make further improvements to the tournament in the future.

Describing the event as “a very important forum for the future of women’s football all over the world”, the FIFA President said he was humbled to be in the presence of the coaches and thanked them for making the tournament — the first FIFA Women’s World Cup to feature 32 teams and be hosted by two nations — a huge global success.

The FIFA President said the feedback of the coaches would be invaluable in setting out the future for women’s football. Topics for discussion included the proposed post-2025 international match calendar, a global club competition for women’s football, and the new expanded youth competitions, with the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup expanded to 24 teams and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to be played annually in the future, and also with 24 teams.