In recent years, women’s football has advanced greatly in Europe. The number of female players has increased as well as the standard of competitions for women. The UEFA has instigated plan Unstoppable to continue this positive growth and “ensure a vibrant and sustainable future.”
Unstoppable aims to make “football the most-played team sport for women and girls in every European country, while increasing the number of professional leagues across the continent.”
Different football stakeholders have come together for Unstoppable to ensure it places women’s football more prominently in the European sporting community.
There are currently eight components to the plan and four long-term goals:
- Making women’s football the most-played team sport in each European country by developing opportunities for players, coaches and referees as well as grassroots opportunities
- Develop six fully professional leagues and 5,000 fully professional players across Europe (compared to three leagues and 3,049 professional players currently)
- Make women’s football the most “sustainable and investable women’s sport”
- Create a community “where everyone believes that they can have a place in women’s football”
The €1 billion plan will be funded by “competition revenue and UEFA investment.”
UEFA has updated the “competition system and minimum standards framework” for national teams already.
Furthermore, UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 is scheduled to run from 2 to 27 July of that year in Switzerland with eight venues hosting matches. Ticket holders will be offered free public transport while travelling within Switzerland for the Women’s Euro.
The UEFA Women’s Champions League has been updated. It will feature an 18-team mini-league to replace the group stage in 2025-26.
UEFA will also launch a "second women’s club competition" next season after the Women’s Euro.
The full plan can be viewed here: https://shorturl.at/dqyGt
