Author: Carmen

Normalising and popularising women’s football happens in packed stadiums and on the pitch, but some of the most significant steps are taken far from the spotlight, in government offices and meeting rooms. Growing the game is not only about what happens during 90 minutes, but also about finding new ways to bring it closer to audiences who have yet to discover the quality, emotion and identity of the women’s game. That is the thinking behind the Spanish government’s decision to include Liga F matches in La Quiniela, the country’s iconic football betting pool, in a move seen as both symbolic and structural for the future of women’s football.

For some, they represent a hyper-capitalist nightmare: private investors seeking to suck out the blood (or money) out of women’s football. For others, they’re an opportunity to make women’s football grow faster and more professionally. One way or another, they’re here to stay: Multi-club ownership (MCO) has, over the course of just a few years, become a global phenomenon in women’s football, and the trend is still accelerating. What does this mean for the future of the sport? A new look into the MCO universe, featuring new data and exclusive interviews with experts.

The double face of TV rights in Italian women’s football: they guarantee full coverage of Serie A, the Coppa Italia final stages, the Supercoppa and even Serie B, yet they still generate minimal revenue for the clubs. With the involvement of the clubs and a centralised strategy, new value could be unlocked for the future – but it must be remembered that women’s football remains, above all, an investment.

In the not-so-distant past, a global beauty brand sponsoring a women’s football club would have raised eyebrows. Today, Dove has its logo on the back of NJ/NY Gotham FC’s shirt in a deal that broke NWSL records. But what makes the deal unique is that its entire purpose is to keep teenage girls from quitting sport. That shift tells you everything about where women’s football sponsorship is heading, and why value-driven sponsorships are often the most effective ones.

Five years ago, the most valuable player in women’s football was valued at €425,000. Today, that figure stands at €1.6 million. Aitana Bonmatí’s market value is nearly four times higher than Dzsenifer Marozsán’s in 2021. This sharp rise shows how quickly the financial situation of women’s football is changing. Transfer fees are climbing, investors are entering the game, and talent is systematically assigned a financial value.