FIFA are working hard around the world to help achieve a goal of 60 million female players by 2027. The ambitious target is underpinned by 13 development programmes with all 211 FIFA Member Associations (MAs) eligible to apply for support from world football's governing body. FIFA recently renewed and expanded its FIFA Women’s Development Programme in a further boost to women’s football. Additional information for MAs can be found here.

Inside FIFA looks at just some of the significant recent activity which has helped build the footprint of women’s football globally and previews an exciting year ahead.

2025 shapes as a historic year for international women’s football, at both world and continental levels. The first ever edition of the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™ will take place in the Philippines, while the first annual FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ will be held in Morocco with the tournament shifting from its previous biennial rotation, as well as expanding from 16 to 24 teams. Morocco will become the first African nation to stage the tournament. The road to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ kicks-off next month in Africa amid an action-packed year on the continental stage. Regional champions will also be determined in Africa (CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations), Europe (UEFA Women's EURO), Oceania (OFC Women’s Nations Cup) and South America (CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina). Meanwhile, club football is reaching new heights with all six confederations hosting a continental club championship for the first time. No less than four continents will see their respective tournaments conclude in May, with the CAF Women’s Champions League rounding out a massive 12 months in November.

The boom in women’s football continues unabated for 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ co-hosts Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Supported by legacy initiatives, Aotearoa New Zealand have enjoyed a staggering 27 per cent increase in girls and women’s participation since 2022. In keeping with campaigns operating during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, there has also been a significant growth in participation from under-represented ethnicities - including Māori and Pasifika players - which are up 14% in a single year. New Zealand Football (NZF) have also signed an agreement with Māori Football Aotearoa to enable both organisations to support one another and help deliver a wide range of programmes. New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell said: “The growth of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand in the last few years is enormous, but the FIFA Women’s World Cup really has had a significant impact, which is exactly what you want to see as a result of a mega event being hosted here.”

There have also been similar boosts for the game across the Tasman Sea in the wake of the global tournament with Football Australia recently announcing 118 Growing Football Fund Community Grants. The recipients join 121 beneficiaries from the inaugural round announced in March 2024 – nearly half of which are from regional areas – with the grants providing tangible assistance to clubs and associations for women’s football, including coach development, introductory courses, suitable apparel and more.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) have long been recognised for preparing all aspects of their football pyramid with long-term growth in mind. That foresight was again in focus recently as Japan hosted the first female only Pro Licence coaching course to be held in Asia. The expansive seven-day programme was a collaboration between FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the JFA, with world football's governing body represented by FIFA delegate Sue Ronan.

Fourteen countries were represented with sessions at the JFA Football Conference featuring AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men’s national team coach Hajime Moriyasu, with participants also observing pre-season training sessions of both a men’s J.League club and a women's Nadeshiko League team. Masanaga Kageyama, JFA Technical Director said: “This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater results in their current coaching positions and secure future success. Although the course is aimed exclusively at women, the license is not gender-specific. JFA aims to develop coaches who can coach overseas, so organising this course together with the AFC is a big step forward in opening doors for the participants and for Japan as a whole.”

Croatia hosted a Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Workshop in Zagreb thanks to support from the FIFA Women’s Development Programme. Around 150 attendees - mostly from clubs across various tiers of local women’s and men’s football competitions - heard from a variety of local and international guest presenters on a series of wide-ranging topics, which was overseen by visiting FIFA representative Bruno Van Hellemont.

“I am pleased that the Croatian Football Association has been organising workshops like this for many years, I am convinced that licensing procedures greatly affect the quality of Croatian football,” said Croatian Football Federation President Marijan Kustić.

A very busy period of development activity concluded in December with the hosting of a Safeguarding and eConnect Workshop as part of FIFA’s League Development Programme. Organisers from the Rwandan Football Association (FERWAFA) bravely continued delivery of the programme to honour FERWAFA women’s football employee and former local coach Anne Mbonimpa who tragically and unexpectedly passed away in November.

The programme followed on from numerous football festivals conducted in Huye, Ngoma and Kigali over the preceding months. FERWAFA representative Mireille Uwineza said: "Through the FIFA Women's football league development programme, we have identified (an) opportunity to empower our women's football clubs with the tools they need to safeguard the women's game, while also professionalising their structures.”