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. In 2025, FIFA renewed and expanded its Women’s Development Programme in a further boost to women’s football. Additional information can be found here. Inside FIFA looks at just some of the significant recent activity which continues to expand the footprint of women’s football globally.

Football Federation of Cambodia (FCF) enjoyed a strong turnout of over 300 youngsters when they hosted a FIFA Women’s Football Campaign at the National Training Centre in Bati. The event was designed as an opportunity to engage with players from rural areas with the objective of demonstrating that football is accessible to all genders.

The Paraguayan Football Association (APF) continued their concerted focus on developing women’s football with a strongly attended Women’s Football Campaign in the capital Asunción. It is the third year of the campaign’s implementation, which this year has seen six festivals organised by the by the APF this year focussed on bringing together girls from different regions of the country to the Association’s facilities for a recreational and sporting experience. The APF have also successfully utilised FIFA’s Capacity Building for Administrators and Women’s Football League Development programmes.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) committed to further growing the professionalisation of the local game by hosting a FIFA Capacity Building for Administrators workshop. The expansive three-day meeting conducted in Abuja saw 41 participants gather with the aim of equipping women's football administrators with the requisite skills in leadership training, strategic planning, and marketing and sponsorships, and more.

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) conducted Women’s Football Strategy regional stakeholder consultative workshops across four locations - Freetown, Kenema and Makeni - reaching nearly 100 people. The regional action marked a significant step in the SLFA’s efforts to create an inclusive, sustainable, and progressive framework for the growth of women’s football, and is another step in their progress following the historic commencement of a new national league in 2022. "This engagement will provide a platform for stakeholders to identify challenges, share recommendations, and contribute to the formulation of a strategic roadmap that will guide the future development of women’s football nationwide. A first strategic document for women's football in Sierra Leone which will go far in growing the game and ensuring its rise as a force in Africa," said Elizabeth Alberta Kaile, SLFA Women’s Football Manager.

Several years of robust commitment to growing women’s football continues to pay dividends for the Honduras Football Federation [FENAFUTH] with substantial participation growth in the ongoing Women’s Development League, funded via FIFA’s League Development programme. Following an initial round of regional qualifiers in the U-13, U-15, and U-17 categories, regional finals were held in the capital Tegucigalpa in mid-August. This is the first year featuring all three categories with nearly 1,700 registered players participating, many of whom have registered for the first time.

The small Caribbean island of Aruba continues to aim big in its focus on developing women’s football. The Aruban Football Federation (AVB) are currently in the second year of their FIFA-supported Women’s Football Campaign with the goal of educating and spreading awareness of women's football within the country. The first of two events at the Frans Figaroa Stadium in Shaba not only had a focus on introducing football to youngsters, as well as educating parents on the importance of girls playing football. The AVB also proactively helped provide transportation to locals who lived at the extremities of the island. The Women’s Football Campaign events builds further upon Aruba becoming home to the first FIFA Talent Academy Milestone Event in the Caribbean.

Japan have previously been recognised for their focus on achieving long-term goals and the Japan Football Association (JFA) are maintaining that formula as outlined in their latest Women’s Football Strategy. Launched in mid-August, the JFA have set out their way forward over the coming five years from continuing to compete for international titles – Japan won the AFC Women’s Asian Cup earlier this year – to doubling the participation rate across the nation’s football ecosystem.

The Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) maintained momentum from various recent Women’s Football Campaign activity, by launching a domestic Coach Mentorship programme in Thimpu. The event saw a selection of 18 certified female coaches paired with six carefully selected mentors with the combinations set to work together through workshops, one-on-one meetings, and practical sessions.

A flurry of activity over the past month ahead of next year’s the FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027™ looms ever closer. Two further debutants are set to feature at Brazil 2027 after Algeria and Malawi successfully qualified – the latter building upon strong development work with FIFA’s support – while Morocco will return after their landmark 2023 landmark appearance, as will Cameroon for their first finals in eight years. Ghana and South Africa will feature in the Play-Off Tournament as Africa’s traditional pecking order continues to change rapidly.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ Play-Off Tournament took further shape with the draw taking place at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland on 20 August. Chinese Taipei, Ecuador, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Uzbekistan will compete in the preliminary phase, with one representative each from Concacaf and UEFA awaiting in the next stage, and three qualification spots overall on offer.

The date and venue for all 64 matches at Brazil 2027 has also been confirmed with the unveiling of the tournament’s match schedule. Notably, Rio de Janeiro’s storied Estádio do Maracanã will be the venue for both the tournament opener and the Final, becoming only the third stadium to host both a FIFA World Cup™ and a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ decider.

Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Modern Art and the spectacular backdrop of Guanabara Bay will play host when the Final Draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ takes place on Friday, 11 December. The draw will reveal the groups and pathways for the 32 participating nations at the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup™ the first edition to be staged in South America.

Rio was a hub of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 activity this month, also hosting the second Host Cities and Stadiums Workshop. Representatives from all eight Host Cities and stadiums came together with FIFA, the CBF and the eight State Football Federations that will host matches next year, strengthening collaboration as preparations for the tournament move from planning, to delivery.

As anticipation builds ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026™, which will provide the future stars of women’s football with a platform on which to showcase their talents, a new generation of fans warmed up for the 24-team tournament at a street festival held in Katowice on Friday, 28 August. 

The event, hosted by the Polish Football Association (PZPN) with the support of FIFA, celebrated the women’s game as more than 350 local children were given the opportunity to participate in a range of fun football-themed activities. Offering an environment in which young females are welcome to experience the beautiful game is part of the Polish PZPN's strategy to make the sport more inclusive, which is one of the goals that features in its strategy for women’s football.   The 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ is the first FIFA women’s tournament to be staged in Poland. The competition promises to inspire new generations of female fans and players, and it reaffirms FIFA’s commitment to strengthening and supporting the women’s game globally, in line with the institution’s Women’s Football Strategy.