A new name appeared in the December 2024 edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking™ as Gibraltar's arrival swelled the list of ranked international teams to 195 - a number which has since climbed to 196 with Djibouti's March 2025 introduction. In just a few months, Gibraltar have ticked off several landmark achievements. Following their first appearance on the global ranking, Gibraltar played their opening competition match in February with a UEFA Women’s Nations League outing in Moldova. Just a few days later, 25 February 2025 was etched into their football annals as Gibraltar made a much-anticipated Women’s Nations League home debut. The venue could hardly be more spectacular with the Europa Point Stadium flanked to its north by the famous Rock of Gibraltar, while the south end of the stadium is barely a goal kick away from a headland which looks out towards the African continent.

It had been a wait of nearly four years since Gibraltar played their first-ever international matches. Coach Scott Wiseman said the experience was “something that will stick with me forever”. The British Overseas Territory of little more than 30,000 inhabitants currently counts its female playing population in just double figures. In that context, two highly competitive 1-0 defeats to open their Women’s Nations League campaign suggests the team boast a strong platform to build upon. “The result was never the target; they had already won by being here and competing,” said Wiseman. “(We knew) if enough players achieved their development goals, the result would reflect that. “Looking back, I felt that over the two games, no one would have complained if we had won or drawn. So to lose was a hard pill to swallow, but the team understood how far they had come, and this pride and emotion overrode any disappointment in the result. Ultimately, the message was to enjoy and embrace the occasion - this would never happen again for the first time - so they had to soak it up and make memories together.”

Wiseman admits player participation is one of the biggest challenges with just five full women’s and girls’ teams based in the tiny region located at the southern tip of Spain. “It would be easy for complacency to set in with such small numbers, but they all push each other to be the best versions of themselves,” he said. “Due to the many local challenges, several of our senior team players have moved to Spain in search of higher competition. This has had a positive effect on the team’s development but has left a huge gap in the local league.”

Despite being hindered by their size, the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) have worked extremely hard to develop women’s football in recent years. The development of their league and individual players remains a priority. At administrative level, former Women’s and Schools Development Manager Laura McGinn benefitted from the Women in Football Leadership Programme in 2022.

“With the participation initiatives we create and roll out, and the support from FIFA and UEFA programmes, we are seeing numbers rise in the younger age groups,” Wiseman adds. “Our aim is to change perceptions from an early age, knowing that this will yield long-term results for the women’s game.” The next landmark milestone will be in 12 months’ time when Gibraltar are scheduled to commence their first FIFA Women’s World Cup™ campaign. “We are also discovering players from different countries with ties to Gibraltar. I believe this cultural mix will help maintain strong competition for places in the women’s game, increase exposure for our players and the league, and ultimately contribute to the growth of women’s football in the country.”