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. Earlier this year FIFA renewed and expanded its Women’s Development Programme in a further boost to women’s football. Additional information for FIFA’s Women’s Football Development Programmes can be found here. Inside FIFA looks at just some of the significant recent activity which continues to expand upon the footprint of women’s football globally.

The Latvian Football Federation’s (LFF) commitment to making football the most popular female sport in the nation took another step with a colourful FIFA Women's Football Campaign held in Ventspils, Latvia. Aligning with the LFF’s strategic vision ‘Football for All’, the festival attracted more than 100 participants and provided an opportunity for every girl, regardless of previous experience, to try the beautiful game. The overall aim is to increase the number of girls actively involved in local football through a structured and sustainable approach.

“The FIFA Women’s Football Campaign is a powerful tool for growing the game - both globally and locally in Latvia - and we are proud to be part of this initiative that supports the development of girls' football across the country,” said the LFF.

It has been a busy and productive period of late for women's football in Puerto Rico. A series of festivals as part of the FIFA Women's Football Campaign was followed by the launch of the FIFA Women's Football Strategy in the capital, San Juan. The year also saw the national team reaching a new peak (77) in the most recent FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, while the nation’s youth also enjoyed success with victory in the recent Caribbean Football Union’s U-14 tournament. While just this month the Puerto Rican Football Federation (FPF) opened its new-look administrative offices, funded by the FIFA Forward Programme.

Building the next generation of female administrators has been at the heart of the FPF’s Professional Certification in Sports Administration and Management Applied to Women’s Football, an ongoing course currently taking place in the city of Caguas. Developed within the framework of FIFA’s Capacity Building for Administrators Programme, 25 participants are currently engaged in studying various core competencies for sport administrators.

Nicaragua are another Concacaf nation showing clear progress thanks to a concerted focus from the nation’s governing body. The Nicaraguan Football Federation (FENIFUT) implemented several of FIFA’s Women’s Football Programmes during 2024, while at the other end of the pyramid the national team were the joint-biggest movers in the year’s third instalment of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking™.

The past month has seen FENIFUT host a series of festivals as part of the FIFA Women’s Football Campaign programme. It is the third consecutive year FENIFUT has hosted the programme, though this time there was a focus away from the capital, Managua. An impressive tally of 650 participants took part in Chinandega, Chontales, Siuna and Somoto, with Chontales featuring a high indigenous community.

All festivals have been accompanied by capacity building sessions with local coaches. Though fun is at the core of the festivals, a local competition is organised - supported by FIFA's League Development programme - with the top two teams of each region playing in a national phase in December.

India’s first qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 23 years has already ensured 2025 will be a milestone year. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) are not resting on their laurels, however, and followed up a Capacity Building for Administrators workshop with a massive FIFA Women’s Football Campaign spread across five different regions of the sprawling South Asian nation.

More than 200 girls participated in the one-day festivals held in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Mizoram and Punjab, leaving over 1,000 youngsters inspired by the beautiful game on India’s National Sports Day.

AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey said: “This initiative reflects our shared commitment to empowering young girls through football and building a stronger foundation for the women’s game in the country. We are deeply grateful for FIFA’s support, which has enabled us to achieve a 222% increase in women’s football registrations over the past two years.”

AIFF Deputy General Secretary Mahadev Satyanarayan added: “With the growing recognition of women’s football at the international level, it was inspiring to witness hundreds of young girls participate, many of them experiencing the joy of playing football for the very first time.”

A FIFA Women’s Football Campaign was also the focus in Thailand with more than 200 players enjoying an introduction to the beautiful game in Hat Yai, Songkhla province.

This edition of the programme held in southern Thailand was the fifth hosted by the Football Association of Thailand (FAT). The activity aligns with the participation pillar of FAT’s Women’s Football Strategy 2025-2029.

“For us, the FIFA Women’s Football Campaign in Thailand is more than football,” said Waraporn Szanyi-Nagy, FAT Women’s Football Development Officer. “It is a joyful journey that gives every girl the chance to discover her love for the game. In a safe and caring space, they learn, play, and grow with confidence.”

The third edition of FIFA’s Elite Performance: Coach Mentorship Programme has now progressed to the practical stage with mentees starting to visit their respective internationally-based mentor.

The current 18-month programme, which commenced in Zurich in July, this week saw new inductee, Türkiye U-17 national team coach, Nazlı Ceylan Demirbağ hosted by Pedro Martínez Losa at Mexican club Tigres.

In addition to providing talented coaches with access to world-class mentors, the programme offers three in-person workshops, online mentoring sessions and a unique opportunity of up to five exchange visits between mentor and mentee.

It will be a groundbreaking moment this week when Afghan Women United take part in the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series alongside Chad, Libya and Tunisia.

The matches will be the first time the Afghan women have experienced international action for nearly four years, and is part of FIFA’s commitment to supporting the return of Afghan women’s football to the world stage.

All the matches will be streamed live globally on FIFA+.

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ now less than two years’ away, representatives gathered for the first FIFA Women’s World Cup Host Cities workshop in Rio de Janeiro. More than 70 delegates from the eight Host Cities and stadiums enjoyed an expansive two-day workshop ahead of the first edition of the tournament to be held in South America.

Jill Ellis, FIFA’s Chief Football Officer, said: “We want more young girls going out and playing soccer, finding opportunities to play, inspiring the next generation. I think that’s a major part, in terms of South America and the legacy that a (FIFA Women’s) World Cup here in Brazil will have.”

The inaugural edition of the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025™ is now less than a month away. The recent Team Workshop and Official Draw also featured a FIFA Futsal Development Seminar as part of FIFA’s Beyond the Court strategy for the upcoming tournament.

The event brought together leaders from FIFA, confederations, member associations and national teams who shared insights with delegations from the 16 participating nations and representatives of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF).

The seminar featured a range of presenters concerning a variety of topics with speakers from world football’s governing body including FIFA’s Head of Olympics, Futsal and Beach Soccer, Kasra Haghighi; Lorenzo Fofi and Hasan Hassan from FIFA's Member Associations Division; and Graeme Dell, a member of FIFA’s Technical Study Group for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024™.

It is not just in the Philippines where history will be made with the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025™ featuring a revamped format and multiple new innovations.

The tournament size has increased for the first time since the introduction of the event in 2008, with Morocco 2025 – the first to be held annually – expanded by eight nations to 24 teams.

Matches until the quarter-final stage will be played at the Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s (FRMF) Mohammed VI Academy, a facility which features three pitches and a vibrant fan area celebrating football, diverse cultures and youth engagement. The Prince Moulay Abdellah Olympic Annex Stadium in Rabat will host the rest of the tournament, including the final. In a revolutionary move, participating MAs are hosted in student residences on international campuses, an innovation which fosters closer bonds among teams and facilitates the exchange of experiences, while alleviating financial burdens and decreasing costs for the host.

All matches from both tournaments will be available to watch on FIFA+.