Just Women's Sports’ Post

DO YOU KNOW? Football has a long and storied history in the Summer Olympics. It was included as a men's competition sport in every Summer Games except the inaugural 1896 Games and the 1932 Games, the latter exclusion made to promote the new FIFA World Cup tournament. Women's football was added to the Olympic program at the Atlanta 1996 Games. Over the years, the men's tournament has seen many elite players, but to avoid competition with the World Cup, FIFA has imposed age restrictions: teams must be composed of players under 23, with three exceptions allowed per squad. The women's football tournament, in contrast, is a full senior-level international competition, second in prestige only to the FIFA Women's World Cup. This has allowed for some of the sport's greatest players, such as Marta and Alex Morgan, to participate and shine on this global stage. The men’s tournament has seen shifts in dominance from European teams to African and Latin American teams since the 1992 Barcelona Games, reflecting the evolving landscape of international football. Countdown #Paris2024 #OlympicGames

The ladies are kicking a**. There is no denying that. But by how much? 👀 As football fans, it is impossible to overlook the momentum of the girls playing the beautiful game. I went to dig for some statistics. And they speak volumes: 🌐 Women and girls playing organized football in 2023 surged by nearly 25% since 2019, reaching a remarkable 16.6 million! 🏴34% of women’s top-tier senior domestic competitions have a dedicated women’s football sponsor 💰 The UEFA Women's Champions League winner can now earn up to €1.4 million (depending on its results in the group stage) ⚽ 88% of FIFA member associations now have a dedicated women's football strategy in place. 🏆 The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023’s average attendance for the tournament was 30,911, up from 21,756 at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. These figures are just a glimpse of the immense surge in popularity, quality, and influence of women's football. 💬 With this progress, will we ever see women’s football have the same almost at par relationship with men’s football, as in tennis? #BeautifulGame #WomenInFootball #EmpowerHerGame #womenssoccer

🏆 The FIFA Club World Cup, originally the Inter-Continental Cup (1960-2004) featured champions from Europe and South America. 🔙 In 2005, their format evolved into a 7 team tournament, featuring champions of FIFA's six continental confederations and a host nation team. 🚀 In 2016, FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed further expanding the tournament. Initially, a 24-team version was scheduled for 2021, but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, FIFA confirmed that a new 32-team format would debut in 2025. ⚽ The upcoming updated format will feature 8 groups of 4 teams, a structure more familiar to global football fans (32 teams) since it aligns with the famous FIFA World Cup structure. 📉 However, interest in the Club World Cup has declined significantly over the past decade - particularly among European fans - for more reasons than one. ⚔️ The timing, usually in December, often clashes with domestic fixtures, leading to lower attendance from supporters of Europe compared to South America, Asia, and other regions. ☀ The new schedule is now coming up in summer, in June. No wonder why! 🌏 Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, now a FIFA official, explained the objective behind this transformation: “In Europe, we are lucky, but it’s important that we make football really global, and this creates a chance for other clubs to progress. This is the real target.” ✅ Stay tuned as we explore everything surrounding the 2025 Club World Cup—from the star-studded participants and prize money to FIFA's challenges with TV rights, player welfare, and sponsorship deals! #Football #FIFA #FIFAClubWorldCup #GlobalFootball #FootballFans #FootballNews #FootballUpdates #Sports #BigHit

FIFA Women's World Cup 2027: It had to be America A few months ago, Brasil was appointed as FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 hosts (https://lnkd.in/dnHniBrd). I must admit, I was expecting the US/Mex bid to win until they dropped out. With so much happening in North America lately, it seemed like the right time and place. However, their plan to bid for 2031 with the same investment as a Men's World Cup will be definitely something to watch (https://lnkd.in/dvirtXet). Anyway, it was the right time for FIFA’s American members to vote for Brazil as new hosts and celebrate football. The strategic move by FIFA. It had to be America FIFA has made a smart move with the Women’s World Cup, and the future looks exciting. France 2019 was a game-changer, breaking records and giving a big push to European Women’s Football to evolve drastically (although some stakeholders realized/are realizing years after that, what else do they need?). Australia & New Zealand 2023 proved that Women’s Football is here to stay, even if the time zones made it hard for European and American fans to catch all the action. Football has always reigned in Europe and Latin America. Given the growing industry of women’s football, Brasil stands out as the ideal choice to host the next major football event, setting the stage for a monumental breakthrough. The first Women’s World Cup with an industry behind it In three years, women’s football is set to break even more records: major sponsorship deals, player transfers exceeding €1M (who will be the first one?), broadcasting and sponsorship agreements due to specific Women’s Football expertise (ie. UEFA deal with Two Circles is another one to follow), new brands finally getting in, and investments from investment groups like Kynisca, Mercury/13, as well as many more new players/VC/funds investing with both independent and non-independent clubs to further boost the sport. By 2027, women’s football will no longer be an emerging opportunity (it isn't already) but a fully established industry. Brasil's WWC 2027 will be the first Women's World Cup backed by a mature industry. What’s next for 2031? USA & Mex or UK? And then, what? Looking ahead, bids are already coming in from the UK, Saudi Arabia, and a joint USA/Mexico bid. The race for 2031 will likely come down to the UK or the US. After that, it will be time for Africa to take the spotlight. FIFA’s decision to appoint Brazil as the host for 2027 shows their commitment to growing women’s football and ensuring it gets the global attention it deserves. With the strong foundations laid by previous tournaments and the booming industry, the present (and future) of women’s football is bright (and looks incredibly brighter).

I’m not interested in France’s Olympic football team,” said Michel Platini. The three-time Ballon d’Or winner believes football has no place in the Games, calling it “no Olympic sport.” Platini argues that football is included only because it fills stadiums and attracts spectators. As UEFA president from 2007 to 2015, he mentioned that FIFA never wanted the best players to participate in the Olympics, leading to nations fielding their "B, C, D teams" which he sees as pointless. While Platini's point has some merit, it can be critiqued. The Olympics, which included football from as early as 1900, predates FIFA, founded in 1938. The Games are an independent event not governed by FIFA. Moreover, the Olympics have been a platform for emerging talents like Lucas Moura, Alexandre Pato, Neymar, and Philippe Coutinho. For African nations, the Olympics have brought significant honor, with teams like Nigeria’s 1992 squad featuring Rashidi Yekini, Celestine Babayaro, and Taribo West, and Cameroon’s 2000 team with Samuel Eto'o. Zambia’s 1982 team, led by Kalusha Bwalya, also shone brightly. In 1992, the Olympics made adjustments to include players under 23, which further bolstered its reputation as a stage for young talent. In France, the Olympics can provide an opportunity for players like Sunday Olise, who may not get a chance in senior teams, to showcase their skills. Therefore, while Platini’s view has some valid points, the significance of football in the Olympics should not be underestimated. #Olympics #Football #MichelPlatini #UEFA #FIFA #LigueOne #PremierLeague #FootballNews #MidiLibre #EmergingTalent #SportsHistory

Is it time for other leagues to be put on hold during tournaments like the African Nation Cup and Asian Cup to ensure fairness and inclusivity? Professional players in Latin America and Europe often have the luxury of taking time off to represent their countries in prestigious tournaments like the World Cup Copa America, and Euro Cup. However, African and Asian players face a different challenge. They are required to participate in their respective continental tournaments during the peak seasons of their professional leagues, which means they have to juggle high-stress games while dealing with mental and physical strain. Additionally, these tournaments lack the same level of publicity, advertisements, and awareness as the more globally recognized competitions. They are often only known to those who closely follow football or soccer. Considering these factors, it raises the question of whether it's time for other leagues to temporarily pause their activities during these continental tournaments. This would not only create a level playing field for all players but also ensure fairness and inclusivity across different parts of the world. FIFA FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States Gianni Infantino

#DYK in #NorthKorea’s women have to serve military for 7 years and NK women football team ranks 10th in the world? "#Russia’s women’s team hosted #NorthKorea for the second match in four days on Monday evening in western #Moscow." "Russia lost the first friendly match 3-0 and drew the second match 0-0 in what could be regarded as the world’s pariah state derby. " Astonishingly, North Korea’s women’s team is the 10th-best in the world. Its position on FIFA’s rankings, which is calculated via a performance-based points system, means it is higher than traditional football powerhouses like the #Netherlands, #Italy and #Argentina. They have excelled in continental tournaments, winning three Asian Cups, three Asian Games and three East Asian Championships." "Russia’s women’s team is 27th, but they have been prevented from accumulating points since they were suspended from FIFA in 2022." https://lnkd.in/gfgEzw5Q

🏅 📊 Only 3 days to go until the 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony which will captivate attention worldwide. Let’s look at some figures. 💰 The Olympics are among the largest competitions in terms of revenue. The 2017-2020 cycle generated about $10.8 billion in total revenues, ranking 3rd in this regard. 💡 Considering the average annual revenue figure, instead, the Olympics are lagging behind the major US sports leagues, football competitions, and Formula 1. 📈 The 14 recurring annual leagues on the visual earned over $80 billion in 2023 (+22% compared to four years ago). 🔝 If considering also the latest Olympic and FIFA World Cup cycles, the combined value approaches $100 billion. ▶ Similar to football, commercial and broadcasting are key components of Olympic Games' revenues. The previous Olympic cycle raised over $6 billion from sponsorships and the expectations are even higher this year, with the International Olympic Committee – IOC featuring 16 global sponsors and 70 local partners. Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024 Football Benchmark #olympicgames #sport #revenue

FIFA announced the calendar of 104 games for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Together he informed the 16 stadiums used during the tournament and their respective host cities. This will be the first World Cup organized by three countries, in 16 cities: 11 in the USA, three in Mexico and two in Canada. FIFA has separated the matches into three main areas — West, Central and East Coast — and each of the 48 teams will play the first phase within one of these regions. The teams will be divided into 12 groups in the initial phase. The two best countries in each group and the eight best third-placed countries will advance to the second phase, starting the knockout stage. The group stage will have 72 games, in all venues, and will take place between June 11th and 27th. The first part of the knockout stage will run from June 28th to July 3rd, in 14 cities. The round of 16 will take place in eight stadiums, between July 4th and 7th. The World Cup will only take place in the United States from the quarter-finals onwards. The last four game days of the group stage will feature six matches per day. All other dates in this stage of the World Cup will have four games per day. #Hospitality #GSM #WorldSoccerTournament2026 #Football #Soccer

The FIFA Council convened on March 14, 2024, and announced that Qatar had been chosen as the host nation for the next five editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, spanning from 2025 to 2029. During the recent FIFA Council meeting, it was officially confirmed that Qatar would host the next five FIFA U-17 World Cup tournaments, now expanded to accommodate 48 teams. In a statement released, the FIFA Council reaffirmed its dedication to youth football and explained that the decision to increase the FIFA U-17 World Cup to an annual event, as well as expand it to 48 teams, led to Qatar's selection as the host country for the competitions starting in 2025. Additionally, the statement noted that the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, also expanded to 24 teams and transitioning to an annual schedule from 2025 onward, will be hosted by Morocco until 2029. These decisions followed a global invitation for hosting bids, emphasizing the utilization of existing football infrastructure to enhance tournament efficiency and sustainability. Furthermore, the FIFA Council unanimously approved the Annual Report for 2023, highlighting the organization's robust and sustainable financial position. The report showcased a record investment of USD 2.25 billion in football development for the entire 2023-2026 period under the FIFA Forward 3.0 Programme. #Qatar #FIFAWorldCup #Host #Consecutive #Worldcups