Denver NWSL franchise owner promises dedicated stadium
February 18 – The newly-announced US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team in Denver could get its own dedicated stadium, if majority owner Robert Cohen is good to his word.
Women
Man City’s Bunny Shaw sends message with Black Power salute
February 18 – Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, one of the best strikers in the women’s game, raised a gloved fist in a Black Power salute after scoring on her first start for Manchester City since pulling out of the team because of racist abuse.
Rubiales set to take the stand in Jenni Hermoso scandal case
February 11 – Spain’s disgraced former football federation chief Luis Rubiales was to give his highly anticipated version of events today in the trial over his alleged forced kiss on Jenni Hermoso that sparked global outrage.
NWSL ordered to pay $5million in historical player abuse case
February 6 – Following a year-long investigation into player abuse, the National Women’s Super League (NWSL) must pay $5 million to victims in a historic settlement.
WSL ‘shocked and saddened’ by Shaw and Bright abuse
February 6 – England’s Women’s Super League (WSL) has condemned the abuse suffered by Manchester City forward Khadija “Bunny” Shaw and Chelsea defender Millie Bright (pictured) over the weekend.
Saudi Arabia announces first women’s football sponsorship
January 28 – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has unveiled a three-year partnership with Unilever’s Rexona, marking the first-ever official sponsorship of the Kingdom’s women’s national football programme.
FA WNL ahead of schedule in empowering third and fourth-tier clubs
January 23 – The FA Women’s National League (FA WNL) has provided a positive update on its ‘Empowering for Success’ strategy as it enters its final year of implementation. Introduced at the start of the 2022/23 season, it aims to help clubs in tiers three and four of the English women’s football pyramid to thrive both on and off the pitch.
Belgian FA appoints Iceland’s Gunnarsdottir as new women’s national team boss
January 21 – Iceland’s Elisabet Gunnarsdottir has succeeded Yves Serneels as manager of the Belgian women’s national team with a contract until the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Doucet to co-chair WLF as women’s leagues build their platform
January 15 – Women’s Super League CEO Nikki Doucet has been appointed co-chair of the Women’s Leagues Forum (WLF), alongside existing chair Jessica Berman, commissioner of the NWSL.
Report highlights growing gap between developing pro leagues in the women’s game
January 10 – The global growth of women’s football continues to gather momentum, with expanded competitions, improved player conditions, and heightened international recognition all serving as cornerstones of the sport’s development. However, a newly published report by Fifpro and Football Benchmark reveals critical challenges that could hinder sustainable growth, highlighting stark disparities in competition access and player workload.
Denver awarded 16th NWSL franchise, paying record $110m
January 3 – Denver has beaten off bids from Cleveland and Cincinnati to become the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) 16th team, paying a record $110 million for the franchise.
Fifpro study finds some women’s workload split between too many games and not enough
December 18 – Some elite-level female professionals are dealing with a packed schedule whereas at the opposite end of the scale, others don’t have enough games to play, according to global players’ union Fifpro.
Study finds huge gap between men’s and women’s game in UK at grassroots
September 27 – Despite a surge in women’s football participation with 4.4 million playing regularly across the UK, and 41% of women’s football clubs in the UK only being created in the last four years, research by Unilever’s antiperspirant brand Sure UK has found women’s football at a non-professional level still faces on-going equality challenges both on and off the pitch.
Kang launches Kynisca Sports with mission to ‘unlock female athletic potential’
August 2 – Women’s football investor Michele Kang (pictured), who owns Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses, has created Kynisca Sports International as part of a mission to unlock the performance potential of women’s football.
Man City, PSG, West Ham and Leicester women’s teams head for Perth for pre-season
July 1 – Manchester City Women will travel down under this August to take part in the first Perth International Football Cup as part of the club’s preparations for the 2024/25 season – following a gutting end to 2023/24.